These paintings document the timber industry and related infrastructure in Humboldt County, California in the mid to late 1990s. This region's monumental log decks were once a ubiquitous sight—grand and metaphorical Ziggurats honoring the gods of progress and profit. Because of the depletion of historical timber stock (along with increased regulation and unpredictable cycles of market demand) far fewer of these iconic monuments are still around, though this industry remains regionally and internationally significant. (1995-1999, oil on canvas and board, 8" x 10" to 30" x 42")
(Click on each image to enlarge)
Eel River Log Deck, 1995, oil on canvas, 30" x 42"
Schmidbauer Log Deck, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Log Deck with Tire, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Schmidbauer Log Deck 2, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Log Truck, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Louisiana Pacific Pulp Mill, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Louisiana Pacific Log Deck, 2000, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Weaverville Log Deck, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Simpson Pulp Mill, 1999, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Clark Slough and Log Deck, 1998, oil on panel, 5" x 8"
Humboldt Tank Farm, 1997, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Brownfield, 2000, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
Municipal Water District, 1997, oil on canvas, 12" x 18"
Eureka Water Tank, 1995, oil on canvas, 20" x 30"
The Three Graces, 1998, oil on panel, 5" x 7"
All images and text © 2025: Cynthia Hooper
