Sketch of the Week: Gnarly Tree

Cypress trees that grow along the coast are exposed to gusty ocean wind for so long that they grow close to the ground with gnarly trunks and branches. They even bloom tiny flowers in the spring. I wanted to capture the beauty of strong and sinewy lines when I sketched one of them a few months ago.

Los Angeles was hit quite hard with extremely strong Santa Ana winds that uprooted trees in some neighborhoods. Hopefully we don't get more wind damage - though I think this cypress that I sketched is doing ok.