Patrick Willett (b. 1956)

This drawing demonstrates Patrick Willett’s fine draftsmanship, and its subject—an oak tree that split into two leaders—is evocative of Burchfield’s study of unusual trees. Coppiced trees grow more than one trunk which are formed when there has been a disturbance, or break, in the growth of the original trunk (caused by fire, flood, beaver or humans), resulting in the stump re-sprouting two or more leaders. Many varieties of deciduous hardwoods coppice.--NW