Born in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Daryl Stokes studied fine arts at the University of South Florida where he specialized in figure drawings, composite drawings and abstract expressionistic paintings.

In the early 70s, Stokes began working with redwood driftwood and burls, eventually opening a studio in a historic Cannery Row warehouse on the shoreline of Monterey Bay. Stokes was immersed in the ebb and flow of nature’s energy, resulting in his unique, one-of-a-kind natural designs. His studio called “Stohans” became a Cannery Row landmark. His past works have included exotic furniture designs, decorative floor fountains and free form abstract sculptures for both residential and commercial use and have been shipped worldwide.

Now in his fourth decade of sculpturing, Daryl Stokes has developed an entire new series of contemporary abstract redwood sculptures which combine the beauty of natural organic burl wood with intriguing geometric forms.

No living trees have been cut to create these works of art. Stokes recovers redwood burls which have succumbed to fire and other natural adversities. These majestic Pacific Coast giants live on in his artistic creations. The wood comprising most of Stokes’s sculptures averages over 500 years old and consequently rare. Each sculpture’s geometric components reveal remarkable grain patterns hidden within the tree.