Caught!

12/22/15 inks, colored pencil

Cozy and warm, sipping hot tea, I heard an annoying buzzing sound outside. Through my studio window, I saw the source: Our neighbor’s huge and very lopsided tree – one I’ve sketched numerous times through that window (see below two sketches from earlier this year) – was getting hacked by the city utility! I couldn’t miss this sketch! After all the hacked trees I’ve sketched, this would be only the second time I’d catch one in the act!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t see much of the workers and cherry picker without going out on our little front deck (where I’ve sketched utility action on previous occasions), so I reluctantly left my tea behind and pulled on a parka (sigh – no rest for the wicked).

In less than 15 minutes, they were done, and so was I, because that was about as long as I could sketch in 42-degree weather. (It’s gone up a whopping 3 degrees since this morning.) I’m grateful for one thing: The workers trimmed off that one lower branch that stuck way out like a bad cowlick!

Here's how the tree looked in February. . . 

 . . . and in March.