Pinus sylvestris
Scots Pine
Berkeley, CA
December 2012
This pine was thick and bushy and had been neglected for several years. However, it had an attractive, sinuous curve to the trunk and wide reaching limbs, which gave it a compelling potential character. The light grey backdrop provided by a fence surrounding the property also served to heighten the artistic qualities of the tree, acting almost like the blank white paper behind a dynamic woodcut print (the location is in North Berkeley which is often overcast, adding to the floor to ceiling backdrop effect).
I did the work in winter to minimize the stress involved with making so many large saw cuts. Most of the work involved thinning the tree and organizing its shape, keeping in mind that the silhouette would be the main thing that would attract the viewer’s attention. Because it had been so long since the tree had been regularly maintained, much of the work that remained after the thinning and shaping resembled summer decandling in order to bring the tips of the growth back into a more delicate appearance.
I removed the lowest limb last. It was about two and a half feet off the ground and offered me easy access to climb into the tree. This tree is seen about twice a year, although the summer candling isn’t particularly strong so it has been skipped at times.
I did the work in winter to minimize the stress involved with making so many large saw cuts. Most of the work involved thinning the tree and organizing its shape, keeping in mind that the silhouette would be the main thing that would attract the viewer’s attention. Because it had been so long since the tree had been regularly maintained, much of the work that remained after the thinning and shaping resembled summer decandling in order to bring the tips of the growth back into a more delicate appearance.
I removed the lowest limb last. It was about two and a half feet off the ground and offered me easy access to climb into the tree. This tree is seen about twice a year, although the summer candling isn’t particularly strong so it has been skipped at times.