Cherishing Stumpy's Last Spring with a Watercolor

This is my second spring in Washington DC, and I'm really starting to love this time of year here. The streets and monuments all over the city look stunning with the magnolia and cherry blossom trees in full bloom. There are plenty of spots to see the cherry trees, but the most famous one is definitely the Tidal Basin, where more than 3,000 trees surround the water.

Unfortunately, this year's blossom season brought some sad news. About 150 of these trees need to be cut down because of rising water levels and the need to build a new seawall. Among them is one particularly beloved tree known as Stumpy. Since the announcement, crowds have been gathering at the Tidal Basin to bid farewell and snap one last photo with Stumpy.

During the peak bloom weekend, I went with my family to see the trees. It was such a beautiful sight, and the weather couldn't have been better. I took some photos to use as inspiration for my paintings, including one of Stumpy. Back at home, I used watercolors to recreate the scene, carefully preserving the delicate whites and soft pinks of the flowers. I mainly used Daniel Smith Watercolor quinacridone rose, adding just a touch of ultramarine blue.

Timelapse of the process of painting the cherry blossoms with watercolor

Painting the monuments, coffee shops or in this case, the cherry blossom trees helps me feel more connected to the city and less like a perpetual tourist.

Watercolor painting of Stumpy

The print is now available in my Etsy store, and I hope it can be a nice souvenir to remember this beloved cherry blossom tree.