Pruned and Unpruned

4/2/19 Tony's cherry tree, Beacon Hill neighborhood

Tuesday dawned clear, but the news was foreboding: Rain would begin as early as that night and would continue through the week. My time was running out.

My first stop was my brother-in-law’s house in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, where I sketched his cherry tree last year with buds still tightly closed. It was colder then, so I stayed in the car to sketch it. This time, two weeks later, the old tree was fully in blossom, and the morning was warmer, so I stood across the street to catch a bit of the downtown skyline in the background. He keeps the lovely tree well pruned in that traditional umbrella shape.

After taking a lunch break with Tony, I had to eat and run because I still had more cherry trees to catch. Across town in the Sunset Hill neighborhood, a block flanked by old cherries is my favorite place to view and sketch sakura. I caught the pink fairyland at its peak. Every year, I try to choose a different tree; each has a different character and a different story to tell. Unlike Tony’s neatly trimmed umbrella, the one I sketched (and most of the ornamental cherries on this block) was a free-spirited mess of blossoms tangled among the utility wires. Examining closely, I also noted that the blossoms are different. Tony’s tree has fuller clusters, while the ones on Sunset Hill have looser petals. And they’re both different from the trees at the UW’s Quad.

The sky was completely overcast by the time I drove home with the top still down. It was getting late in the afternoon, so I didn’t stop, but I cruised down Dibble Street in the Crown Hill neighborhood to check the last place I always look for cherries. They were at peak bloom, too. Alas, my clock ran out – at least for this year.

Such fleeting beauty.

4/2/19 Sunset Hill neighborhood

Tony's tree

Sunset Hill trees

Fairyland is in full bloom (unfortunately on trash day)

Look at the gnarly trunk and roots on this one!

Sunset Hill Cherry Tree

2/1/21 Cherry tree, Sunset Hill neighborhood (graphite on Strathmore Bristol vellum, 6" x 8", photo reference)

Although I understand the value of drawing from photos as a classroom learning tool, I don’t care for it under most circumstances. Worst is drawing from a photo of a place or object that I haven’t experienced or seen with my own eyes. I have no connection to it, and it feels like a mechanical copying exercise. That’s why I appreciate that, unlike some classes I’ve taken in which we were required to draw from provided photographs, Kathleen Moore is allowing us to use our own photos of trees if we wish.

In her graphite drawing class this week, we are studying tree trunks and how their forms can be described by emphasizing shadows as they wrap around the trunks. As she described the assignment, I thought immediately of the trees I wanted to draw: the amazingly gnarly ornamental cherries that I sketch every year in the Sunset Hill neighborhood. Their trunks, or perhaps it’s actually their bulging roots, are as thick as thrones, yet fairly short. Then their stout branches suddenly reach toward the sky, filling it with pink blossoms (at least during one spring week). A block on Sunset Hill must have about a dozen of these old cherries.

Although I take lots of photos whenever I’m in the neighborhood to sketch, many were poorly lighted on overcast days or didn’t show shadows that would describe the form. The photo I chose is of a cherry that isn’t quite as dramatic as others, but it has its own regal character, and the lighting was right.

Below is a sketch I made three years ago of some similar trees nearby. Since the blossoms get all the attention during that one week in spring, I appreciated focusing on a trunk and branches during this decidedly non-spring-like week in February.

3/20/18 Sunset Hill cherry trees (on location)

Not Yet Prime Time on Sunset Hill, Either

3/22/26 Sunset Hill neighborhood

Sunset Hill is my all-time favorite petal-peeping spot. Although certainly the University of Washington Quad is the city’s biggest, grandest Sakura show, and I enjoy the spectacular hanami experience of the throngs, this single block in the Sunset Hill neighborhood is more my vibe. Even at peak, these blossoms seem known only to residents who jog or walk their dogs there. It’s such a quiet residential street that I always walk slowly down the middle of it, hardly needing to step aside for cars.

Look at that shape!

Each tree’s unique shape is as familiar as a friend. As we both admired one tree in particular (which I’ve drawn many times), another woman and I declared in unison, “It’s my favorite,” then beamed at each other.

Like their sisters on Crown Hill and Capitol Hill, these beauties hadn’t yet hit their peak, but they were close. I’m planning to be back again next week with USk Seattle when it’s full-on party time, so I chose a smaller tree this time that I hadn’t sketched before. It’s just a warm-up for the main event.

Not yet prime time, but close.

The Pink is On!

 

3/18/24 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Last weekend, all the cherry trees in town started exploding with pink! Our recent spate of good weather pushed them along nicely – just before several days of rain. Seeing the forecast ahead, I went out Monday intent on catching pink wherever I could.

I didn’t have to go far: On my morning walk, I found this old tree just a few blocks from home. I walk that route frequently, and it seemed to have bloomed overnight.

That afternoon, I went on a scouting mission to Sunset Hill, a favorite stop on my annual petal peeping tour. Those trees are usually a week or two behind the University of Washington Quad’s cherries, which were nearing peak at that point. I was surprised to find them closer to peak than anticipated – perhaps only a few days behind the Quad. Expecting to come back later, I decided to sketch them then and there, just in case the rain kept me from them before the petals came down.

3/18/24 Sunset Hill neighborhood

For the Sunset Hill sketch, I brought along my gouache and watercolors – contained in yet a new palette (a post on that coming soon)! Painting on location is always a more troublesome event than using my tried-and-true watercolor pencils, but every year the cherry blossoms push me to try it. This year I’m inspired by this YouTube video from Harumichi Shibasaki (Japanese with English subtitles). My jaw dropped when I saw how dark he makes the shadow areas – much darker than I would normally dare to use, especially with such pale pink blossoms – but his result is astoundingly beautiful. Emulating his example, I went as dark as I dared (though certainly without his elegance). More attempts in tomorrow’s post.

Sunset Hill: Not quite peak, but close enough!

Pink!

4/2/18 Sunset Hill neighborhood

Pink at last!

A couple of weeks ago Urban Sketchers Seattle met on a block in the Sunset Hill neighborhood that turns into a fairyland this time of year. Unfortunately, we were a bit premature, and all the cherry buds were still tightly closed. My memories of the spectacular flowering were based on 2015 and 2016, when I sketched in mid- to late-March. Last year, though, they peaked during the first week of April, so it’s not that they are particularly late this year. It just feels that way because we had such a cold winter, and those cold temperatures continue even now. Almost every morning, it’s still in the 30s, which is very unusual for April in these parts.

But never mind all that winter talk. I’m seeing pink on Sunset Hill, so as far as I’m concerned, spring is officially on.

Roots: Another Sunset Hill Cherry

 

2/10/21 Cherry tree, Sunset Hill neighborhood (graphite on Strathmore Bristol smooth, 7" x 9", photo reference)

This week’s tree-drawing lesson was on roots, and what surprising structures they can be. It’s easy to think of trees hiding their roots underground, but many have roots that are clearly visible – and some are as elaborate as branches.

This old cherry is a “sister” to the one I drew last week when we were studying trunks. It’s on the same block in the Sunset Hill neighborhood. Resembling the folded legs of someone sitting on the floor, the roots begin at the top of the trunk right below the branches and twist around before eventually digging underground. Other photos I took of the same tree show that the pavement next to it is badly cracked and buckling where the roots push continuously against soil, rock and concrete, seeking nourishment and stability. Trees are amazing!

My indispensable desk easel.

Incidentally, my desktop easel is an indispensable tool for this drawing class. I use it for the daily drawings of my hand too, but those don’t take much time, so it’s less essential (though helpful in keeping my sketchbook at the same angle as my “model”). Each graphite tree drawing is taking several hours over the course of a week, and the easel keeps me from hunching over my table and getting a sore neck and shoulders. When working with graphite, which is shiny and reflective, it also keeps the paper at an angle so that the desk lamp isn’t illuminating it directly. Finally, it’s critical for my drawing to be at the same angle as the photo reference to avoid distortion.

Waning Pink

 

3/31/22 Sunset Hill neighborhood

3/31/22 Sunset Hill cherry tree

The Sunset Hills cherry trees, favorites on my annual petal-peeping tour, caught me by surprise. When I went to check on them on March 21, their buds were tightly closed. They typically peak in the first week of April, so I assumed they still had a way to go. Exactly a week later, though, a friend reported that they were at peak! I went to see them on March 29 on my way home from sketching Dibble Avenue Northwest, but didn’t have time to sketch them then. We had some rain after that, and by the time I got over there again on March 31, they were well past peak – piles of pink petals on the pavement. I made a mental note to check on them more frequently next year.

Instead of trying to capture a street view, I focused on a couple of trunks. At Sunset Hill, I do tend to sketch more tree portraits than street views because these are among the oldest cherries I visit each year. More than 80 years old, the one above is the same tree I drew from a photo for a class assignment a year ago. The reference photo I had used was taken from the side that shows the tree’s fantastic roots wrapped around its trunk. This sketch is from the opposite side, where slender, blossomed tendrils are trying to catch up with majestic branches.

In the second sketch, I caught a younger tree with daffodils behind it.

The street wasn’t quite as pink and fluffy as I’ve sketched it in the past, but the trees are still my favorites.

The Sunset Hill cherry trees at their peak on 3/29/22

As many petals on the ground as on the branches.

Pink Flurries on Sunset Hill

4/11/23 Sunset Hill neighborhood

 

This is the side of the tree I drew in graphite
with enormous exposed roots.

I was afraid I had missed my chance to sketch the Sunset Hill cherries, my favorite stop on my annual petal-peeping tour. They were only at about 50 percent when I checked on them on April 1. It’s been raining more than not since then, and we also had some strong winds, too – all bad news for petal peeping and sketching. Tuesday was supposed to be more of the same, but sunshine surprised us in the afternoon. It might be our last hanami of the season, so we hopped in the car.

Fairyland was in full bloom, indeed. This one block is filled with majestic old cherries on both sides of the street, each unique and distinctive, yet I somehow find myself attracted to one particular tree often. Amid pink flurries, I sketched my favorite. It’s the one with enormous roots that I drew from a photo a couple of years ago in Kathleen Moore’s graphite class. I sketched it last year, too, from a different angle.

Although it’s impossible to beat the UW Quad for sheer quantity and spectacle, Sunset Hill will always be my favorite cherry stop. Many trees are probably nearly as old as the UW’s from the look of their trunks and roots, their petals are pinker, and the hanami crowd can be counted on one hand. I’m so happy that I didn’t miss seeing this quiet exclamation of joy.

Sunset Hill Cherries in October

 

10/7/24 cherry trees, Sunset Hill neighborhood

You’ve seen my sketches of the Sunset Hill cherry trees many times. I visit every spring, and sometimes I bring along USk Seattle to sketch with me. After sketching the site of the Loyal Heights tree that had been taken down, I realized that Sunset Hill was only a short walk away. It also occurred to me that I had never seen those trees except when they were blossoming, even though I know that cherries turn in the fall. (Although it’s not quite as popular as springtime hanami, the Japanese do revere cherries even in autumn. I took part in their joy in Kyoto years ago.) On a gorgeous afternoon, it was high time to make a fall visit.

Unlike the blooming time, which seems to happen on the whole street at once, the foliage follow their own drumbeat. Most of the trees on the block were still mostly green, but I found one leading the way. While pink blossoms take all the glory, leaves have a quieter time to shine.

More Pink!

4/3/18 Dibble Ave. NW, Crown Hill neighborhood

After the UW Quad and Sunset Hill, the third regular stop on my personal hanami tour is Dibble Avenue Northwest in the Crown Hill neighborhood. A narrow residential street with cars parked on both sides, one block is lined with cherries. Younger and slenderer, these trees lack the stocky, knotted trunks of the ones on Sunset Hill. Nonetheless, I am always impressed that they are wider than they are tall, the pink-covered branches reaching across the width of the sidewalk. They also seem less tended and pruned, and I enjoy their asymmetrical shapes.

Yesterday was overcast, so I didn’t have the benefit of a blue sky and shadows for this sketch. But it was a bit warmer too, so I was able to stand on the sidewalk instead of sheltering in my mobile studio.

Still some buds! It's not over yet!

Fairyland

4/3/17 brush pen, water-soluble colored pencils, ink

Earlier this week we had a brief moment of blue sky and sunshine. Even though I’d heard that the blossoming cherry trees in the Sunset Hill neighborhood weren’t quite at peak, I thought it might be my only dry opportunity. (My prescience paid off – it’s been raining ever since.)

While the University of Washington Quad’s famous cherries attract hundreds of people for an informal hanami celebration each spring, I prefer the much quieter show in Sunset Hill for two reasons: A different variety than the ones in the Quad, which are nearly white, these trees have truly pink blossoms. And for an introvert like me, Sunset Hill is a joy: Except for a couple of dog walkers, I’m almost always the only one there.

4/3/17 water-soluble colored pencils

 A block of old cherry trees transforms the neighborhood into a fairyland (as my friend who lives nearby calls it) for a few weeks each spring. I like to walk slowly up and down both sides of the street, marveling at the fluffy pink clouds overhead. Wider than they are tall, the canopies tangle with utility wires as they reach in all directions. The trunks, though, tell the full story: While people delight in their brief magic each year, those stout, gnarled trunks show that they’ve seen more than a spring or two. A moment of beauty is supported by decades of deep, quiet growth.

Some years I like to take a wider view, but this week I was more interested in the trunk of this particular tree than its blossoms. After sketching it from across the street, I walked up close and noticed that small clusters of blossoms were growing out of the side of its trunk, so I put that into the sketch. Finally, I walked around the tree to find a branch where I could get a good look at individual flowers and buds.

Fairyland!

Daffies and Cherries on Dibble

 

4/4/25 Crown Hill neighborhood

Although the cherry trees on Dibble Avenue Northwest are on my regular petal-peeping route, it’s not a destination that I would consider for an Urban Sketchers outing. A narrow street full of parked cars, trash cans, basketball hoops, utility poles and other street stuff that I enjoy sketching, it’s probably not the kind of view most sketchers like. I did, however, encourage everyone who attended the Sunset Hill outing to at least peep the petals, if not sketch them, since Dibble in Crown Hill is only a mile or so east of Sunset Hill.

Dibble Ave. NW

With the top down, I cruised slowly down the block, looking straight up at the blossoms arching over the street from both sides. Then I turned around and came back to sketch from a spot I had sketched a few years ago that has become one of my favorite cherry blossom sketches: The pink blossoms as a backdrop to the daffodil-fringed traffic circle.

With bittersweetness, I must concede that our all-too-brief petal-peeping and -sketching season is coming to a close. But if this is its finale, I’m good with that. As a resident of the Sunset Hill street and I had just concurred, if we could have cherry blossoms all year round, they would no longer be precious and special.

Technical note: After all the trees I’d been sketching, my Pentel Pocket Brush Pen ran dry when I started this sketch, so I had to bring in a gray Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen for an assist. I like the way the gray ink made the cars and utility pole fade out more than compared to drawing and shading with the same Pentel ink. I’m going to try to remember that in the future.

Pink on Capitol Hill

 

3/24/24 Capitol Hill neighborhood

Until I had learned about it from my yoga instructor last year, I didn’t know that this usually quiet street on Capitol Hill needed to be a permanent addition to my petal-peeping tour. I sketched there with a few friends then, but this year I felt greedy if I didn’t share it with USk Seattle. I even ordered up some sunshine that was delivered just in time for our outing on Sunday afternoon. The rain and wind the past few days had already sprinkled pink snow on the pavement, but we caught the blossoms just in time before they passed their peak.

To give gouache another try, I found a typical Capitol Hill bungalow framed by pink on this residential street (at left). Then I followed my ears to the other end of the block, where a teenage violinist was busking for all the petal peepers (below). From the looks of the cash in his violin case, he seemed to be doing a brisk business, and he certainly gave a pleasant soundtrack to our pink fairyland.

When I turned around, I spotted a sketcher dwarfed by an enormous cherry behind him (top of post). Frustrated (as usual) by the gouache and watercolor I had used previously, I resorted to my tried-and-true brush pen and watercolor pencils. (I’m not sure why I keep trying paints when I like the results of my “usuals” so much more.)

Although sketching the cherries at the UW Quad will always be a mainstay, I have to admit that I prefer neighborhood streets like this one and my favorite in the Sunset Hill neighborhood. There’s something special about walking slowly down the middle of a residential street (moving to the sidewalk when occasional cars come through, always slowly as their drivers and passengers take in the splendor) lined with these majestic trees on both sides. I imagine it must be especially magical for the residents who wait for their block to transform each spring.

Note: My sketch of these trees last year is dated April 13 – three full weeks later than this year. A recent article in the Seattle Times talks about how the dates of cherry blossom peaks are giving researchers data about climate change.

Magical!

Last Chance

4/6/20 Sunset Hill neighborhood

A street in the Sunset Hill neighborhood is on my blossom-peeping list every year. These cherries always seem to peak a week or two later than Dibble Avenue or the University of Washington Quad, but I was afraid I might have missed them. Sunny and even warm, Monday seemed like it might be my last chance.

Sketching from my mobile studio, I thought wistfully of how pleasant it would have been to sketch from the sidewalk as I have in some years past, smelling the blossoms. But with so many dog walkers, runners and families passing by, I didn’t think I should.

This gnarly tree seemed very familiar, so when I got home, I checked my blog: Indeed, I had sketched it two years ago on a cold afternoon from nearly the same parking spot.

A bit past peak after all, the sakura were still glorious. I’m looking forward to next year when I can sketch them from the sidewalk again.