A Graphite Time of Year

12/25/16 Maple Leaf neighborhood

We had a white Christmas in Seattle – but not from snow. All morning the landscape was hidden behind a thick veil of fog. I’m hardly ever inspired to sketch from my front window because the rooftops and trees are so familiar to me, but the fog gave everything a layer of mystery.

12/26/16 Ravenna neighborhood

Yesterday morning wasn’t quite as foggy, but the overcast sky was gray and foreboding, and the air wrapped around me like a cold wet towel. Coming home after an errand, I drove through the Ravenna neighborhood and spotted these Chinese pinwheel palms that gave me the perception of warmth.

Graphite seems made for this dark and colorless time of year.