Day 11: Sourwood Tree
The Sourwood tree caught my eye because of its delicate flowers. They look just like Lily of the Valley, one of my favorites, as it always reminds me of my mom. She had the most incredible garden, and I find myself thinking of it often. What drew me in even more was the tree’s fragrance. I hadn’t planned to draw it, but yesterday I spotted a hummingbird and bees swarming its blossoms. That moment made me pause.
A little research revealed that the Sourwood is one of the few trees that bloom this late in the season. Its flowers are a vital source of nectar for pollinators, which helps spread its seeds and, wonderfully, gives us the distinct and coveted Sourwood honey.
“The best-known by-product of the sourwood tree is the hard-to-find and extremely delicious honey produced from the fragrant blossoms by honeybees. It is said that it takes a bee 154 trips to make one teaspoon of honey. To gather a pound of honey, the bee would need to fly a distance equal to nearly twice around the world and would have to visit two million flowers. The light amber honey produced from the nectar of sourwood flowers is considered by many to be unmatched by clover, orange blossom, fireweed or any other honey. Advocates of sourwood honey claim it has a caramel or buttery flavor, rich aroma, and a pleasant aftertaste that together, make it unique.” - Arbor Day Foundation
I will definitely be hunting for this honey once I return home. I caught the bee and the hummingbird in action and decided to include them in this piece of art.
With all of these works I have developed this week in Wilcox Park, I always start by drawing from observation. The trunk of this tree has an interesting shape so to draw for hours on a beautiful day in the shade, was really enjoyable. After I completed the drawing, it was time to start imagining the composition. As I said in my post about the ginkgo, this step is very intuitive. I arrange and rearrange the various elements dozens of times. I often walk away and give it a few hours or days to think about. What I’m looking for is a sense of movement, how the viewer’s eye travels through the composition, and whether all the elements feel balanced and in harmony.
For this particular piece, I felt drawn to incorporate my sewing skills. But I also wanted to experiment with something new: giving the fabric a three-dimensional quality. Pinching the fabric and sewing a parallel stich gave me the shape of a branch. Lastly, I embroidered the small blossoms and added a few other sewn elements with beads.
