Last week we visited Westonbirt Arboretum (read more) to collect samples from various coniferous trees to be featured in drawings for The New Sylva.

Sarah Simblet has started work on drawing three plates featuring Norway spruce. The photograph shows work in progress, first in pencil, and the start to working in detail with pen and ink. Later more tone and depth will be added.

Norway spruce drawings in progress by Sarah Simblet

The left-hand drawing will depict a bunch of three mature female cones with examples of both right and left hand twist (which this species can present). It also represents how females cluster at the top of the tree. On the right-hand side a bunch of male cones on a sprig taken from ground level branches (centre right) and a solitary immature female cone with a few males taken from half way up the tree (far right).