Once they were Dragons

Living in the Pacific Northwest, I was captivated by the serpentine, dragon-like forms of the Pacific madrone. Their twisting branches, smooth red bark, and graceful silhouettes inspired the idea that these remarkable trees might once have been dragons wandering the forests.

At the time, I was living near Port Townsend, surrounded by old military forts. I began imagining that the forests had been cleared to build the forts, and that the last dragons disappeared along with the ancient madrones.

I spent many hours creating the black-and-white illustrations by hand, trying to capture the whimsical, mysterious, and dragon-like spirit of these extraordinary trees.

Available via link below