Observations of a Sweet Gum tree
I found a few buds on a sweet gum tree for EDM Challenge #59 and then fell in love with that particular tree! My first sketch was done on March 22nd and the buds were only 3/4 inches long.
I walk past a row of these trees when I leave work and each day watched for changes in those very tiny buds. I have painted two more sketches of the tree and now want to post all of these entries together. By April 17th, the tip of the original bud had grown to approximately two inches and several very small leaves and one very tiny seed ball had appeared. By April 26th, the leaves and seedball were slightly larger and the bud was now a fully formed flower. On May 3rd (no sketch), all of the flowers were lying on the ground below the tree and both the leaves and seedballs were growing daily.
I love the brown, dried seed balls that fall from these trees during the fall and winter and look forward to watching what happens to the baby seedballs on my tree over the next few months. Several leaves from these trees were collected in the Fall of 2004 as patterns for my autumn-theme, quilted, silk wedding chuppah (#3) which can be seen in the "threads" category on this Blog (http://www.paperandthreads.com/2006/01/post.php).
Thanks Karen and the EDM group for Challenge #59 because I'm not sure that I would ever have watched a tree with such passion!
Comments
Lovely drawings and a super post. That's what I found with EDM, it makes me look (and see) more. It's wonderful isn't it? Enjoyed looking through your archives too!
Posted by: Felicity | May 6, 2006 9:56 AM
Shirly -- Your sketches are getting ever more skillful -- details and beauty ...!! GREAT JOB on these ... shading to lines -- just incredible work!
Posted by: Lin | May 6, 2006 4:32 PM
You have done a wonderful observation here..both written and visual! Good job and invaluable exercise, huh?
Cynthia Padilla, Editor of Sketching & Drawing for Garden & Hearth Publishing: www.gardenandhearth.com/SketchingandDrawing.htm
Botanical Art & Naturalist Illustration. Forum for artists, photographers, fanciers, directors, illustrators, collectors, calligraphers, naturalists, gardeners, botanists, scientists, growers, explorers, directors, writers, journalers, educators, birders, shopkeepers, curators, printers, historians, enthusiasts...the curious [whew]. Dedicated to the realistic portrayal of plants, flowers and natural science subjects. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/botanicalart
Posted by: Cynthia Padilla | May 6, 2006 7:35 PM
Beautiful drawings! I love how you observed the same tree, too -- what a fun project.
Posted by: Linda | May 7, 2006 9:22 PM
Love the gum tree sketches!!! Great job!!
Posted by: Sioux | May 8, 2006 4:21 PM
wonderful drawings...and you can have our sweet gums...have at least a dozen in the yard...give me an oak anytime...no gum balls to walk on barefooted...lol...they are prety trees though..you are right about that!
Posted by: Margaret McCarthy Hunt | May 8, 2006 5:02 PM
Hi there, simply turned into alert to your weblog via Google, and located that it's truly informative. I'm going to watch out for brussels. I'll appreciate should you proceed this in future. Numerous people will be benefited out of your writing. Cheers!
Posted by: juwelry jewelry | August 3, 2013 11:46 AM