April Sketchbook: Days 22 to 30

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April Sketchbook: Days 22 to 30
// Pencil and Leaf

The last week of the April sketchbook, making notes about what I see on my route through the woods.

22nd April: Some bird notes. A few shapes of birds that I see regularly in the wood.

23rd April: Leaves from trees. Most trees are getting their leaves now. My tree knowledge is a bit sketchy so it seemed a good idea to make some notes from the leaves I have collected.

24th April: Tree shapes. I am thinking about some prints so a few thumbnails of possible designs. The weather had suddenly turned very cold so it was an opportunity to do some thinking inside rather than freezing outside.

25th April:  Bugle, wild crab apple and groundsel. There is Bugle on one of the rides through the wood. I love these pretty plants and have the cultivated form in my garden. The hairyfooted flower bees love it!

26th April: Alder. Alnus glutinosa I knew very little about the alder tree before this week.Now I know a lot more now. There is a small grove of very tall and stately trees by the bird hide. Lovely tree.

27th April: Pendulous sedge. Up in the wood there are clumps of this  growing by the path. They are in flower right now with very attractive nodding heads which scatter yellow pollen.

28th April: Piece of bark with accompanying woodlouse. I brought a piece of wormy bark back to draw. It had a resident woodlouse so I drew that too.

29th April: a Snail and some moth notes. Busy bank holiday Saturday so a few quick sketches of a large snail and some moths associated with the trees from the Spinney. I really like moths and have a moth trap which is due to come out as soon as it warms up a bit more.

30th April: Beech, an old twig with leaves and a new twig with emerging tiny concertina folded leaves waiting to unfold. I have learnt today that the name for trees retaining their leaves in winter, as the beech does, is called 'marcescence'. Fascinating. These beech twigs, one very new and one old, with last years twisted dried leaves, are from the same tree.

And that's it for April!  I have a really busy May coming up, so not planning a daily notebook. But its a good and useful habit. Maybe…

A4 Sketchbook.. with a convenient 32 pages. Nice to finish a sketchbook for a change !

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