Tag: tree

Podocarpus

Our backyard was filled with about 18 trees, far too many for the allotted size.  We had 5 trees removed and the remaining pruned backed.  Eventually all but 2 will be removed, roots dug out, stumps ground down.  I don’t know what this guy was thinking when he put in all these trees – I had neighbors I didn’t even know I have stop to tell me how much nicer it looked and they had “told” him he was putting in far too many.  We can actually see the sky at night!

That said, after the crepe myrtle, I moved onto the podocarpus, which are rather lovely or ugly trees, depending on my mood!  For now,  I’m just doing simple things – not that these leaves were simple.  The leaves of the podocarpus in our yard have leaves that grow in clumps, rather like bamboo in shape, but totally not bamboo.  Still, the leaves may be painted with the tip of the brush, a bit of downward pressure, and then a rise to complete the shape.

I tried to paint around highlit areas – making a leaf or leaf shapes with green, and then working toward the darker areas.

I keep forgetting what a challenge watercolor can be, but it makes me so happy to do it, whether or not I am especially successful!

Pointy

This is a tree in the local botanical garden.  There are two of them.  I keep forgetting what they are called.  In the fall, they drop their leaves, and all their spiky bark shows much more clearly.  In the spring, leaves of green and big, pink flowers.

A part of me would like to sit up in the tree when in bloom and covered with leaves, but getting up there leaves a bit to be desired.

Heat

We’ve been spared the blazing fires so far this summer.  Up north, further east, flames are rocketing through dried out forests and neighborhoods.  I think two fires were caused by arsonists.  Still, our temperatures have been nearly impossible – many days over 100F – and the air conditioner is the only thing that keeps heat exhaustion from become deadlier than it already is.

This is from the first roll of film out of a new-to-me Cosina CX-2.