Spring is Springing!

3/18/16 brush pen, watercolor, ink

Yesterday was a little too cold to take the top down to Dibble Avenue, but not today! Wearing multiple layers of Polartec, I could still feel the chill in the wind, but I didn’t care – as far as I’m concerned, spring is on its way!

One thing I love about driving a convertible is that I catch more scents around me. Granted, some city smells (like exhaust) aren’t my favorite, but this afternoon was made for my Miata. I rounded the corner on 32^nd Avenue Northwest near Sunset Hill Park, and even before I spotted the cherry trees, I could smell their delicate scent. I’d entered fairyland, the block on 33^rd where the trees are particularly old and gnarly, thick branches spreading wide across the street. The third and last of my must-see cherry blossom spots each year (the other two are the UW Quad and Dibble), this street was at its absolute peak today.

3/18/16 ink, colored pencils

As I did last year and the year before, I walked slowly up and down the block a few times (on either sidewalk and even the middle of the street – hardly any cars came by), looking for an individual tree to sketch. Each has a distinctive, knobby trunk as broad as a boulder. I picked the one for this year’s portrait – its branches wide open, welcoming spring.