The solo show of Don Holtz’s photography at Topanga Canyon Gallery has been fourteen years in the making. “ I have a love affair with this tree. It sits about a hundred yards behind my house in Topanga Canyon, and since 2007, I’ve spent at least an hour a day sheltered under the embrace of her elegant limbs. I come here when I’m sad, when I’m happy, when I’m anxious and life feels so overwhelming that I just want to take a six-month nap. I come here when I’ve been a jerk to my family, and no one wants to look at my dopey face. And there she is, waiting, for me and my petty problems. Too pure and unselfish to rightfully object. I call her simply, T R E E and of all the beautiful trees I’ve come across in these mountains, this one is my favorite. My one and only.� —Don Holtz Holtz has been using high resolution cameras to create large archival pigment prints that tell a story of his relationship with an oak tree that’s been on this planet for at least 500 years, the last 14 of which he’s been lucky enough to have shared daily visits with. Feelings of joy, elation, loneliness, and grief have all been brought to her feet, and it’s all evident in these detailed and emotionally rich images. On display through April 11, this tree will not disappoint. Holtz is known for his landscapes and portraiture, as well as being a still photographer on documentary films. He’s been part of multiple exhibitions and gallery shows, traveled the world photographing stories and places for film crews, and captured portraits of some of today’s most well-known celebrities. The large-scale print is the end game for most of what he photographs, with a love of creating prints that give the viewer a feeling of looking out a giant picture window in some of the most beautiful locations in the world. The aim of his photography is simple: To tell an intimate story of whatever is in front of his lens and do so with an open heart and sincere respect for his subject, be it a landscape, a human, or a 500-year-old spirit in the shape of an oak. This show will lay claim to that. Opening Reception: Saturday, April 3, 12–8 p.m. Hours: Thursday-Sunday, 12-5 p.m., through April 11 or by appointment. Holtz will be at the gallery almost every day during the show and will extend the hours to 8 p.m. beginning April 2.