……thanks to Cee for hosting the Which Way Photo Challenge
Now that spring is finally here, I’m back out for my walks. I headed towards the parks west of my house to see what kind of damage the recent wind storm had caused. Fortunately most of the debris and downed trees had already been cleared away.
As I continued toward the pond I was treated to a wonderful gift.
…..the cherry blossoms in High Park have bloomed but won’t last much longer
The blooming of the cherry blossoms in High Park is a big deal. Every year hundreds of thousands flock to the west end of Toronto to take in the cherry blossoms. In 1959 the Japanese ambassador to Canada, Toru-Hagiwara, presented 2000 Japanese Somei-Yoshino Sakura trees to the citizens of Toronto on behalf of the citizens of Tokyo. The trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following the Second World War.
Sakura is the Japanese name for flowering cherry trees and their flowers – often referred to as cherry blossoms. The Japanese traditional custom of hanami or “flower viewing” dates back to 710-794 when the Chinese Tang Dynasty influenced Japan with their custom of enjoying flowers. Today when the Sakura trees bloom, Japanese people and people from all walks of life and cultures continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers along the pathways on the eastern shore of Grenadier Pond in High Park.
Thanks to the High Park Nature Centre for the information about the history of the Cherry Blossoms in High Park. If you get out in the next couple of days you can still catch some of the blossoms before they fall to the ground.
….thanks Cee for hosting the Fun Foto Challenge
Sometimes the challenge is going back far into the archives to find photos to match the theme. This time I had to scroll through thousands of photos over a two year period to find what I wanted. I really need a better system to organize my photos.
….the markets are overflowing with beautiful flowers
….exploring different styles of art for my 365 Days of Art
I’ve been following a number of journal artists but have yet to actually try my hand at it. Today is the day. Here’s my first attempt.
…..day 88
I’m back to sketching and after completing these tulips I decided they needed some colour. Out came my watercolours and in a few minutes my sketch was transformed.
