The Tree on the Hill

This sketch feels like the most important one to me. Four days after my poppy sketch, I completed what I thought would be the final and most significant experiment of my degree. It lasted two full days, and when I finally reviewed the results, the experiment had failed in an unexpected way. The disappointment was heavy.

Even so, I had begun to realize that making art helped me regain some mental strength. It gave me small health points back, enough to keep going. I had not yet figured out what went wrong, but I think the act of sketching was helping me solve problems in the background.

That afternoon I chose a spot right by the lab, on the hill along New Main Drive where wildflowers were blooming. At the top stood a short tree, and the moment I looked up at it, I knew I would draw it. These days I often found myself wanting to look upward, searching for a lift in spirit. It was a wonderful choice for a subject, and this sketch carried me through. I did not return to art again until after my defense.

Micron pen and watercolor on paper. About 30 min. sketch.