Category Archive

. . . which isn’t a cedar. At least, it’s not of the genus Cedrus. Quite a few conifers not in that genus get called cedars anyway, and this is one of them. It is a member of the genus Chamaecyparis, making it a cypress, though there too, the common name of “cypress” and the family, Cupressaceae, do not consistently correspond to each other. Maybe frequent commenter ERP will work through the tangle of what is and is not a cypress or a member of Cupressaceae.

In any case, for a tree to belong to this genus, Chamaecyparis, it must have scale-like leaves in adulthood, which means that here on my 55th tree, I have at last moved on from needles! This drawing feels like a schematic; I was just learning how these little scales fit together. What’s the pattern, and how does it change when a new twig (twiglet?) branches off? It’s fun to learn it. I will get a lot more familiar with them over the next few weeks, because there are 23 other trees with scale-like leaves here in western North America.

The leaves, that is, the scales, of the Port-Orford-cedar are tiny: about 1/16″ each.

Common name: Sugi, or Japanese cedar.

I love the overall pattern of these needles en masse: the way the twigs bend in waves and curls. I struggle to portray big-picture patterns like that, so I tried using broad strokes, literally. And at a distance I think it approximates the movement of this tree. Here’s the reference photo–which I couldn’t look at at exactly the same time that I was drawing. Having to switch back and forth also helped/compelled me to draw the shape and pattern of the whole rather than zeroing in on details.

It’s Saturday night. This is all a hardworking minister can do.

My daughter said, “Why is it so pink?” I responded that pink was part of the actual background color, and that I was exaggerating that but would be mottling it (as I have now done, above). I said I was trying to show how there was a glow around the needles. She affirmed that there’s a glow, but thought that with a pink background, the glow seemed to come from nowhere. Damn it, she was right. When I started this, the background, which is partly bright white light, seemed way too difficult, but that now seems untrue, and yes, if the background doesn’t show that light, where does the glow come from?

I think I am resolving it by making the upper section of the background considerably lighter than the lower. We’ll see. I should consult her earlier next time.

Next day: you can’t erase colored pencil, but you can lighten it. I’ve done that and added a few more leaves. They are all different. I’m loving meeting each one.

Coming along. Maybe I will finish it tomorrow. Cryptomeria, the next tree in the field guide, is tugging at my sleeve, but I’m really relishing this time with a beloved tree. I’m very happy with the way the glow is showing.

Many nights, I am tempted to skip that day’s drawing, but I’ve stuck to it every time. Usually, even if I don’t sit down to it until 10 p.m., the process gives me energy and I’m glad to be drawing. But last night, I really wanted a break from both drawing and piano practice, gave it some serious consideration, and decided a day off was a good idea.

Today, I played piano and I drew, but this drawing is going to take a couple more days. It feels special to have gotten to it in the field guide: Sequoia sempervirens, our beloved coast redwood. And the reference photo I found conveys that quality of light that comes through the branches, and maybe explains it too: each needle, it turns out, is outlined by a glow where it thins to nothing. That’s what I want to get across in my drawing, so it will be a slow, careful process. Today I mostly just outlined the leaves.

See you tomorrow, Sequoia sempervirens.

Trying out an ink pen again . . .

The fact that this tree is commonly called “California nutmeg” threw me into a tizzy for a few minutes. Nutmeg? It is very aromatic . . . Wait, but it’s a yew. Does nutmeg come from a yew? Mind reeling . . . but no. It’s just called that because its cones look a lot like nutmegs.