EDiM Day 5 - Pine, Fir or Eucalyptus

Today, on Day 5, we are challenged to draw a pine or fir tree or eucalyptus. Many members of the Every Day in May group reside in Australia, so they've been submitting awesome drawings and paintings of eucalyptus trees and leaves. I thought I knew about eucalyptus. Obviously I don't. Add it to the LONG list of "All Things Nature" that I am ignorant of. The Australians drew beautiful, subtly colored, slender leaves—nothing of what I think of as eucalyptus. All I know of eucalyptus is the dried, exotic-smelling, Seuss-like branches sold in the craft store. I've always thought of eucalyptus as an exotic thing—foreign in appearance and smell—like how we felt in the 60s when we saw a whole pineapple in the grocery store. "Is it real? We thought pineapple only came in cans!" Eucalytpus remains one of those curious smells from childhood that I got many whiffs of before I knew where it was coming from. Other smells in that catergory for me: beer at the amusement park (I was so sheltered from alcohol!); pipe tobacco at the mall (I was so sheltered from smoking!); and diesel exhaust from downtown busses (I know it's toxic, but I love it!) It was years before I knew what those smells belonged to. Weird, I know.

pen and watercolor on 90 lb. mixed media paper