Maple Leaf Mother Grove

 

1/13/26 Maple Leaf mother grove of centenarian Douglas firs

Known as the Maple Leaf mother grove, 18 Douglas firs have been growing on this residential block for more than a century. The grove is within walking distance of my house. The (ironically named) developer, Green City Development, plans to cut down five of them, endangering the remaining trees by exposing them to wind effects. The small house will be replaced by three large single-family homes. According to Tree Action Seattle, removal of the trees can be avoided by using other, design options that would likely make the houses more affordable, but the developer refuses to address them.

Whenever I walk on this side of the ‘hood, I’m startled and impressed by the number of mature firs I see compared to a mile south where I live, which has far fewer. I suppose someday all these tall firs will be gone, thanks to greedy developers and short-sighted city planners.

Color notes: As I was leaving the house to make this sketch, I grabbed my current wacky palette of Caran d’Ache Neocolor II crayons (see end of post) – but I hesitated a moment. I wasn’t sure this selection, which includes only one mid-value green, would work for the deep greens I would typically use for Douglas firs. However, I wanted to push myself to continue experimenting with the palette, so I didn’t take any other colors.

I wasn't happy with the mid-value green I used for the trees, and the blue didn't help much.

Onsite, I knew the trees needed to be the darkest value, but I didn’t want to make them purple and blue; that somehow didn’t seem “right” for reportage sketching. (That’s ridiculous logic, I know; a reportage sketch doesn’t have to use “realistic colors” any more than any other kind sketch! But that’s where my head was that day.) I compromised by using the mid-value green as the primary color and blue for the darkest areas. The green was a bit wimpy, but I decided I could live with it (at right).

When I got home, I still wasn’t happy with it, so I used my darkest green Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelle to deepen the darkest areas and add some texture that I had lost (with a bit too much water).

Maybe I should have tried a version using purple and blue for the trees, just to see how far I could push it (and by “it,” I don’t mean the palette – I mean my own resistance!). I know – I’ll try it with some other firs that I’m not reporting on! Maybe that’s how I get past this resistance.

The current wacky palette: a warm and a cool of each value range.