EDM April 5, wild cherry branch and leaves

This is part of what remains of the wild cherry tree on the patio, partly pulled down by the hurricane, partly by the October snow storm. But, since it's a wild cherry, it takes more than a couple of storms to deter it, and it knows about weather, and doesn't put out blossoms before there are bees available to work on them. Right now it has leaves only, but last year once the blossoms got going, the place was mobbed with bees, a loud buzzing all the hours the sun was on the flowers. .

This drawing, 7.5 inches by 11.5 inches, almost a perfect golden rectangle, is in a book of mulberry paper, pages absorbent, smooth one side, rough the other, bound in boards made of mulberry leaves. It's a handmade book, complete with twig ornament at the front stitching, and was a journal for a while. But now it's going to be my next drawing book, since the old square one is now filled, with the two excited paintings as its farewell! I like the smooth side of the paper for ink, but may use the rough side for pencil or pastel or maybe chalk. This shape is much more to my liking, and the soft tan color, warmer in rl than in pix, is a lovely backdrop for line drawing. Here's it's my trusty Pilot Pen fine point