With more than 550,000 trees for its residents, Irvine’s designation as “Tree City USA” for over 30 years is well-earned. UC Irvine’s campus alone contains approximately 30,000 trees, creating an urban forest that rivals its student- body population.
When artist Dennis Carrie moved to Irvine in 2000, the trees behind his new Northpark home reminded him of his childhood in the San Fernando Valley.
Carrie was a 30-year math teacher and has since discovered his second act as an artist. He attended Laguna College of Art and Design, receiving his MFA in 2010. Three years later, he began memorializing the monoliths in his backyard.
“I did four tree line paintings,” Carrie says. “They were inspired by the windrows of eucalyptus trees we have here in Irvine. I’ve always loved those trees.” Carrie moved to Irvine because of its pristine surroundings. He also appreciated its safety record, organized neighborhoods and the abundance of unbroken bike trails. “I like the newness of it,” he says. “The land isn’t new, but the buildings are. It’s a beautiful city. You can’t go more than a quarter-mile in any direction without hitting a park.”
“I did four tree line paintings. They were inspired by the windrows of eucalyptus trees we have here in Irvine. I’ve always loved those trees.”
Dennis Carrie
Carrie is a six-time exhibitor at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach, and he frequently shows work at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, garnering several awards and an invitation to exhibit his landscape work to commemorate the city’s 35th anniversary.
For more than a decade, Carrie has also produced his “Portraits of Integrity” series, mixed-media paintings of presidents, soldiers, scientists and citizens who represent the strongest and brightest in our nation’s history. His work inspires meaningful conversations at his shows, proving a good education for young visitors and opening opportunities for discussion among adults.
“I love hearing parents tell their kids about Frederick Douglass or Abraham Lincoln,” Carrie says. “And how thrilled people look when they see attention being brought to the figures they’ve read about.”
Whether it’s giants of history or monoliths of nature, Carrie’s work reminds us that history is constantly unfolding all around us.
Eucalyptus windrows preserve a piece of history
Long before Irvine was a city, eucalyptus trees were planted on The Irvine Ranch to protect the fruit orchards and fields from hot Santa Ana winds. The trees aligned in windrows grew fast and tall, and the land thrived.
Now those fields nurture families who enjoy an elevated quality of life in the homes, schools, parks and villages of Irvine. Many eucalyptus trees remain in landscaped medians, along roads and in city parks, thanks to long-term master planning. The planning includes expert care to maintain the health of the trees. The eucalyptus is just one type among the 550,000 trees in Irvine, earning it the title of “Tree City USA.”
Eucalyptus windrow in Eastwood Village
