Time for Kwanzans

 

4/25/23 Kwanzan cherry tree, Green Lake

The Kwanzan cherry trees are always late to the party – several weeks behind their pale pink sisters – and this year they seemed later than usual. It’s a good thing, though, that traditional ornamental sakura don’t have to compete with them, because when the Kwanzans finally appear, they steal the show: A true, bright pink that sometimes borders on magenta. In addition, their leaves are orangey, giving the whole crown a warmer glow. 

At right is a tree I caught along Green Lake’s shoreline on an overcast morning. The next day, with the luxuriously warm sun on my back (no gloves! No down parka!), I sketched a flamboyant beauty on a residential street (below).

4/26/23 Green Lake neighborhood

Pencil notes: These were my first full-blown tests of Derwent Inktense – on location from start to finish and color activated with a spritzer – used in the same ways I usually use Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelles. They are not the same as my beloved Museums, and yet, at least during this current trial, I have not found fault with them as I have in the past. An important consideration is the mix of hues you see here – that cool magenta and cool, dark purple are not available in the Museum line (or even Caran d'Ache Supracolor).

I’m well aware that the Inktense line is known for being fugitive, especially the brightest reds, pinks and purples. Perhaps in a few years these sketches will be a faded memory – but right now, these hues are just right for the Kwanzans. (My current Inktense mutterings will eventually be pulled together into a thorough review.)

Just when we think the pink party is over, the Kwanzans show up and strut their stuff!