HERITAGE
Commissioned Outdoor Mural - St. Helena Chamber of Commerce & Wydown Hotel - St. Helena, CA
34’ X 34’
Acrylic Marker, Acrylic Paint, Gold Leaf on Wood Wall
2024

“We need to broaden our sympathies both in space and time - and perceive ourselves as part of a long heritage, and stewards for an immense future.”  - MARTIN REES (British Astrophysicist)

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”  - KAHLIL GIBRAN (Lebanese-American Writer/Poet)

I believe Public Art is an opportunity to visually capture complex stories and distill them down into the simple essence of a place, of a people and its culture. In gathering the essence of St. Helena I think it important to look to its heritage and its history, its relationship with the land and those who have inhabited that land throughout its many eras and evolutions. While vines may seem an apt symbol for that relationship, I think it is the Oak Tree that comes most readily to my mind when thinking of the true heritage of the Valley. As a majestic icon of stability, of strength and endurance, the Oak Tree is both native to the area and its longest living inhabitant. It is a steadfast sentinel, witness to every changing season through every changing decade and century.

My vision for this mural was to use the Tree symbol as a centerpiece to organize a visual narrative that captures the spirit of the Valley. The thick trunk of an Oak Tree rises from the bottom of the frame as the sun rises, arrayed in light across the sky behind branches sprawling upward and outward. A country road lined in vines vanishes into the distant mountains of a timeless Napa Valley landscape brought to life through over 60 hand mixed, custom colors. Visually mirroring the above quote by Kahlil Gibran, translucent Oak Tree rings reverberate across the horizon, rippling to the edge of the wall.

The Tree itself is composed entirely of handwritten words in different densities to create light, shape, and shadow. Within this complex matrix of branches are inscribed memories, histories of the land, of its people, and excerpts from the great philosophies and poems of the past echoing through the centuries. A transformation of thought to image through the word encapsulates my vision for what it means to be in this part of the world, in this time in its history.