Spring in Sydney

Life has been hectic lately and I have been wanting to sketch some of the wonderful spring changes that are happening around me at the moment but just don’t seem to get the time. So here are two very quick sketches that I did in the last few weeks.

November is my favourite time of the year – summer is coming, Xmas holidays not too far away, the jacandras are out and look spectacular against the strong blue Sydney sky AND my favourite tree, Angophora costata (Smooth-barked Apple or Sydney Red Gum) is shedding its bark. More on the bark some time soon....but here is a sketch I did earlier in the year
www.flickr.com/photos/borrominibear/3493618954/in/set-721...

I haven’t been able to find out why, but this tree does not flower every year but this year it is. I have never seen the flowers close up as the flowering branches are normally quite high. But on Saturday morning when I drove down my road (which contains numerous magnificent specimens of this type of tree) I noticed a low branch with some flowers. So on my way back home from shopping, I stopped the car, reached up and got one.
This page is my technical analysis of the flower – I find this so much fun and it makes the task of sketching the flower (which I did hope to do...) a lot easier because I understand it.


Ultra quick sketch of the reason I wake up to a particular sound this time of year