I’m sorry I have no discernable artistic ability and am still learning to blazon, what about:

Argent on a fess Azure two dogwood blossoms Azure fructured Or overall an oak tree erased proper

You could add fructured Or if you wish - but we see so many oak trees fructured Or.. I kind of like it plain in this case.

Another option, but I don’t like it as well -

Azure, on a Pale Argent between two dogwood blossoms Argent fructured Or, an Oak tree erased Proper.  That may make the Oak tree a bit narrow, you could also do -

Azure, between two dogwood blossoms argent fructured Or, a Pale Argent, overall an oak tree erased proper

That minimizes the "violation" of the tincture rule…Just thoughts.

Oh, another thought just in case I missed it being mentioned - Can’t dogwoods come in pink?  Even though the specific one you note may not - using Argent would ensure no one makes a silly mistake.

Kathy McClurg;68772 wrote:

Argent on a fess Azure two dogwood blossoms Azure fructured Or overall an oak tree erased proper

Normally I’d agree that a fess would be a reasonable charge to deal with the issue, but Stephen has indicated that he wants to follow Scottish traditions (with possibly a Lyon Court matriculation at some unspecified future point).

In Scottish heraldry Argent an Oak tree Proper combined with a fess is Watson rather than Wood, and the Watsons have tended to used Azure or Gules fesses so the tinctures don’t help difference things either. The only major change is that the Watson fess is on top of the tree and I don’t think that is enough to de-Watson the design.

Wood arms tend to have either

a) the oak with other charges on each side

b) the oak with something hanging from it

c) the oak with charges on a chief

I see the major issue as the real life colour-on-colour problem of an oak tree Proper on a field Azure. That is Stephen’s preference and it seems to have been the field used in the earliest Wood arms. More modern examples have tended to have a field Argent, from which arise the similarity to Watson which almost always has the field Argent. That was possibly due to "tidying up" of the tincture violation by an 18th century herald.

If I were Stephen, I’d stick to my instinct for the field Azure and the tree Proper, not because I think it’s great heraldically, I’m not a fan of Proper, but because of the history.

Since I’m in Scotland my route would be to run it past Lyon Court and if they point blank said no, I’d have the tree Or (preferable because there is historic precedent) or Argent (simpler colour scheme) as backups. Were that not difference enough, I’d go for a per fess counterchange with the dogwood flowers on Azure in base - that better allows for a good spread of branches in the top half of the shield.

Of course Stephen doesn’t have to deal with the Lyon Court as yet.

James

Deer Sniper;68755 wrote:

"Or an oak tree eradicated proper fructed or" had crossed my mind.

Whoops, missed this one.

What about

Or an oak tree eradicated Proper fructed Or between two roundels Azure each charged with a dogwood flower Proper

Maybe an bit too USAF looking if you have no connections.

or

Or an oak tree eradicated Proper fructed Or between two flaunches Azure each charged with a dogwood flower Proper

James

I like the idea of the dogwood in base.

Per fess Argent and Azure in base two dogwood flowers argent fructed Or overall an oak tree eradicated proper

Is that right?

Although useful, I don’t particularly like the Rondel idea, but I do like the flaunches.  Would Argent be more common in Wood?

Argent an oak tree eradicated proper between two flaunches Azure each charged with a dogwood flower argent fructed Or.

Although there is no "pink’ in heraldry (or I just haven’t come accross it yet) I think specifying argent would save him from gardeners who develop all kinds of flower deviations.

James Dempster;68774 wrote:

In Scottish heraldry Argent an Oak tree Proper combined with a fess is Watson rather than Wood

There is some connection between the Clan Wood and the Clan Watson that would probably explain the similarity ( Wood is a name within Clan Watson ) though I do not know what it is.

James Dempster;68774 wrote:

More modern examples have tended to have a field Argent….........That was possibly due to "tidying up" of the tincture violation by an 18th century herald.
Quote:

I think this almost a certainty.

 

I could matriculate Scottish Arms for my maternal grandfather but he had a son elder to my mother, and the Lyon court expects Americans to matriculate through the paternal line. As I have only been able to ( so far ) trace my paternal line to 1805 in the U.S. ( to a level provable in a court of law ) I am not in a position to contact them as yet, but would like to one day. Anyway, I don’t plan on waiting on the Lyon Court to assume arms. If I do get a grant later that is different, I can change my American arms to match. I would however like to come up with a achievement that they would probably smile on.

I would like to assure you all, that I am taking it all in and mulling over all of your suggestions. They are all appreciated.

Kathy McClurg;68776 wrote:

Would Argent be more common in Wood?

Argent an oak tree eradicated proper between two flaunches Azure each charged with a dogwood flower argent fructed Or.

 

Although there is no "pink’ in heraldry (or I just haven’t come across it yet) I think specifying argent would save him from gardeners who develop all kinds of flower deviations.

I think that currently, yes, Argent is by no means unheard of as the field in Scottish Wood arms, as evidenced by the latest Chiefly arms listed in the first post of this thread.

I have never seen a dogwood flower heraldically displayed in anything but argent. Possibly because of the ( commonly ) religious connotations of dogwood flowers in heraldry ( they tend to be used by Christians due to there symbolism regarding the crucifiction, and there for usually argent, seeded or, of four pedals, displayed crossly). In case I didn’t use the crossly term properly, with the pedals not in saltaire.

The story goes, at least in this part of the country. That Christ was crucified on a cross made of dogwood. And afterwards god bent the branches and trunk of all dogwoods and stunted there growth so that they would never be suitable for such a purpose again. He further changed there blossoms to be a symbol of the crucifiction. White for the purity of Christ, Pierced to remind us of the passion, of four pedals to resemble the cross etc. Anyway this is what I have always heard.

Further the Eastern/American dogwood is the official state flower and tree, for the Commonwealth of Virginia. My home state and the residence of my family for over 200 years.

As I am a Christian and Virginian, though not particularly evangelical, and not clergy, it seemed a attractive and appropriate charge with which to difference my self and line from other Wood’s.

"Crosswise," he said crossly.  (Not really.)

As a generalization, I have an allergy to over-specificity in blazon, so would personally prefer just saying "dogwood blossoms."  The Canadian Heraldic Authority doesn’t blazon the trilliums (trillia?) in various arms associated with Ontario as "one point to chief"; they’re just depicted that way.

You can always direct your heraldic artist to depict them crosswise, if you think there could be any doubt, but to me it’s a little like specifying a rose as being mullet-wise.

Your choice, of course.

Joseph McMillan;68821 wrote:

"Crosswise," he said crossly.  (Not really.)

As a generalization, I have an allergy to over-specificity in blazon, so would personally prefer just saying "dogwood blossoms."  The Canadian Heraldic Authority doesn’t blazon the trilliums (trillia?) in various arms associated with Ontario as "one point to chief"; they’re just depicted that way.

 

You can always direct your heraldic artist to depict them crosswise, if you think there could be any doubt, but to me it’s a little like specifying a rose as being mullet-wise.

 

Your choice, of course.

I agree. I was simply saying ( maybe rambling, lol ) that I have never seen them displayed otherwise. I have no intention to specify this in the blazon.

With the gracious permission of Ronny Andersen for the use of his art work, I have put together a group of images of the possible emblazonments for my arms that we have discussed on this thread, and a few variations there of. Doing this and seeing them side by side has definitely changed the preference I previously held. I do have a favorite among these, but I will refrain from stating it at this time.

I would like comments on the arms depicted and what you see as the pros and cons of your most and least favorites. Please do not worry about my feelings, as I am looking for candid opinions and my feelings are not easily hurt.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj301/norinko/Wood/Sketchthumbnailsposter.jpg

(B) by far is, to me, the best

I like the balance and the simplicity.

I don’t really like trees proper but, it’s my taste.

My vote would be for (a) or (h).  If you’re trying to make a connection to the Scottish arms for Wood, all the counterchanging becomes (in my view) a distraction.

I favor (a). Second choice would be (d).

/Charles

H as 1st choice because it is possibly more Wood-like than most and A as a very close 2nd (it’s probably a better design).

James

My vote would go to "B".  My favourite colours and division (even though I used something else in my own arms).