Woodside French Oak Tredhand

Mixed Media on Reclaimed French Oak | 9.5” x 8” x .51”

This singular piece features a striking painted impression of the artist’s left hand, rendered in acrylic on a salvaged fragment of French Oak. The wood, rich in character, once formed part of a desk owned by a 97-year-old woman in Woodside, California, acquired in 1983. Marked by wormholes, nail scars, and wild grain patterns, the oak tells its own story—one of endurance, age, and quiet dignity.

The color palette, intentionally chosen to reflect the USMC Semper Fidelis flag, bears hues of deep crimson, gold-leaning-orange, and strength-laden blacks. These tones evoke themes of courage, valor, and steadfast loyalty. While the gold leans more orange than traditional yellow, it enhances the raw and gritty tone of the piece, emphasizing the emotional weight of the subject.

The "tred" design—a unique stylistic fingerprint of the artist—symbolizes a hand both battle-ready and timeworn, embodying the duality of strength and fatigue. The left hand, grounded yet searching, awaits its counterpart: the elusive right hand. According to the artist, this is the only known left Tredhand to date—though it is believed the right may surface in time, somewhere, perhaps equally storied.