Some 10,376 miles from New York City, in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, there stands a magnificent eucalyptus tree in front of my friend Mary’s house. This tree dwarfs its surrounding trees and can be seen from quite a distance. With approximately 700 species of eucalypts, none is as glorious as this “Lemon Scented Gum”. With its smooth, amber hued bark and a fragrance all it’s own I knew I had to pay homage to it. Although not represented in this picture, Mary’s Gum is the frequent home to a colony of fruit bats (sometimes called flying foxes). Ee Gads! Frightening creatures that thankfully keep their distance. Maybe the subject of a future drawing, but probably not because they kind of creep me out.
Ta muchly, Mary for the inspiration.