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Ancient oak is the art of his work

You could call him an arboreal artist, since trees are Stephen Malkoff's most inspiring and intriguing subjects. He's rendered them all over the country.

By JILL ANN PERRINO
Published June 17, 2006

"It looks like it has just done a great performance and is saying 'Ta-da!' while taking a bow,'' he said. "It looks like it has just done something wonderful.''

Malkoff would know.

At 39, he's been creating elaborate pencil renderings of magnificent old trees for more than 10 years. Previous subjects include Jacksonville's Treaty Oak, the 1,000-year-old Seven Sisters Oak in Mandeville, La., and the Ole Oak in Geneva, Ala.

He has even captured The Great Banyan of Maui and General Sherman, a 2,400-year-old giant sequoia in central California.

Florida Public Television recently made a documentary about his work. It's titled Tree Lines: The Art of Stephen Malkoff.

In 2000, he was named the official artist for the National Register of Historic Trees, a project of the nonprofit conservation group American Forests. As official artist, he was commissioned to capture the arboreal heritage in all 50 states. That relationship didn't work out as planned, but Malkoff continued to travel and draw trees.

Asked how he decides which trees to take on, Malkoff said, "They choose me.'' Malkoff, who lives in Enterprise, Ala., says he has captured more historic trees in Florida than in any other state.

He heard about the Baranoff Oak last year at Epcot's International Flower and Garden Fest. Visitors there described it as "the most beautiful tree on the planet,'' he said. He had to see it.

The 200-year-old tree on Second Street N was named in 2004 in order to be included in the National Registry of the Live Oak Society. The name was chosen in honor of Dr. Salem Baranoff, who owned the Safety Harbor Spa more than 60 years ago and was known for community service.

The tree has a girth of 19 feet, 6 inches.

"That's my favorite tree in Tampa Bay,'' arborist Alan Mayberry said when he heard about the project and the inclusion of the Safety Harbor tree. "He picked a good one. It's beautiful to behold. Its lateral branches are wider than the trunks of most trees. It looks like it's rippling with muscles.''

What also makes the tree stand out, he said, is its setting ... red brick streets, old downtown and nearby bay.

Malkoff said it takes him three to four months to create an original drawing. He works from photos and sketches. The Baranoff Oak took him four months and two visits to complete.

He plans to donate a limited edition print of the Baranoff Oak to the library. Prints are available for $125 on his Web site, www.arboresque.com.

Malkoff said it surprised him to discover how many people have strong feelings about trees.

"I had no idea so many people were attached to trees until I started,'' he said. "From the time I displayed my first tree, people came up and shared story after story.''

[Last modified June 17, 2006, 09:50:30]