Persimmon Loose Sketch

© Ellen Blonder

Happy New Year! I resolve to post more this year--to draw more this year. This is a recent colored pencil sketch of winter's persimmon crop, now long gone. 

Persimmon Revisited-Final

 © Ellen Blonder

Finished. The actual fruit is still hanging on the branch, but by today many of the leaves have fallen.

Persimmon Revisited-Day 3

© Ellen Blonder

Slowly adding color to the leaves over this holiday weekend.

Persimmon Revisited-Day 2

© Ellen Blonder

Just had time to work on the persimmon fruit today. Since the windstorm a couple of days ago tore off many of the leaves, so I'm glad I took reference photos.

Persimmon Revisited-Day 1

© Ellen Blonder

I'm revisiting the persimmon in a second watercolor. This will show leaves in stages of turning rich yellows, oranges and reds, different from my painting from a couple of weeks ago when the leaves were all still green. Many of the actual leaves blew off the tree in today's heavy windstorm, scattering brilliant color all over the garden.

Persimmon Leaves

I don't normally post photos instead of paintings, but I had to share the fleeting glory of the persimmon tree. It's raining now, and the leaves are falling fast, but for the last few days, it has been magnificent.

First Persimmon-Final

© Ellen Blonder

The painting's done. Now to wait for the real persimmon to ripen enough to pick.

First Persimmon-Day 3

© Ellen Blonder

Starting to noodle in the details on the leaves. I thought I'd better paint in the persimmon first so I could get the contrast right. The fruit and leaves on the real tree are changing daily as I paint.

First Persimmon-Day 2

© Ellen Blonder

I'm just beginning to lay in some color. After painting so much in acrylics lately, it's a challenge to remember stray brush marks can't be painted over with watercolors.

First Persimmon-Day 1

© Ellen Blonder

I planted a persimmon tree four years ago, and even moved it once because I didn't think it was getting enough sun. While it has become a handsome young tree, it has never borne fruit. I only discovered the first fruit this fall when it began to turn orange against the green leaves. Here, I've drawn pencil outlines on an 8 x 10-inch sheet of watercolor paper; the lines are actually much lighter than then appear here.