Hopeful

2/20/16 ink, colored pencils

A few days ago Facebook kindly informed me of a “memory” from a year ago: a sketch I’d made of a cherry tree that was already starting to blossom (see below) outside my neighborhood public library. A few weeks later, that very tree was taken out for some sewer work, and I was heartbroken. Quite old and broad, the tree must have been of a variety that blooms early, because it was always one of the first decorative cherries to blossom in my ‘hood. I looked to it as my harbinger of spring.

The sun was out all day today, and by afternoon it was warm enough to sketch outdoors for a few minutes. Thinking about the old cherry that was removed, I decided to visit its little replacement (at left). Supported by braces, it’s so thin and spindly looking that I had to sketch it from a different angle to see it well. It’s nowhere near blossoming, but when I examined it closely, I daresay I could see that it was covered with tight, dark pink buds. There’s hope of spring after all!

2/17/15 ink, watercolor