Obsession With Trees

I really have no idea why I have a fascination with drawing trees. Maybe it stems from a certain need to experience the appeal of climbing them, similar to the encounters I had as a child. Maybe it stems from the limited time I actually spend outdoors and it is my attempt to reconnect with nature. Maybe it is my way of paying respect to the plant that allows me to practice my favorite form of meditation, drawing. Then again, maybe it is a perverted way of telling conservationists to bite me, which I hope it isn't.
Anyway, I know of another, more accomplished artist, than I who has a similar fascination. His name is Craig Thompson. He is an illustrator/cartoonist that is based out of Portland, Oregon. He is known for his books Blankets and Goodbye Chunky Rice. If you are a fan of comics, graphic novels, or stories at all, you need to read and own these books. Thompson does things with a brush and ink that I could only dream of creating.