Under the Influence of Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are a fleeting moment in space and time. You have to see them before they're gone! They herald the end of winter, and the beginning of spring. Against the dark skies and grey clouds of a Pacific Northwest winter, the pink-white petals bring hope that a new season will be warm and bright and cheery.

But these colours soon fall away. The lesson of cherry blossoms is that beautiful things do not last forever. We must cherish them before they are gone again.

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Vancouver is full of cherry blossoms when spring arrives. I went to Queen Elizabeth Park where many people come to pose under the trees for pictures, and make social media content. Influencers spend only a few moments truly appreciating the pink shadows of the trees on the green grass. They hardly have time to sit under the tree and look up. They see it through a camera lens and a small screen. They see it and imagine how others will see them under it. In a way they do not see it at all.

While I was drawing, it made me think about how much of our life we only see through a lens. How little we stop to appreciate, not for the purpose of packaging and sharing it, but just to be in it. How much of life is lived and how much is projected?

However they behave, and however I feel about it, the trees and flowers and birds and bees do their things at their appointed time. They are here for us, even if we are not there for them. We owe them so much. This drawing is but a small tribute.

Note: To maintain the authenticity of the original sketchbook drawing, the crease mark in the middle of the spread has not been erased. Other than minor clean-ups of pencil stains, the image has not been 'corrected' in any way.

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About this artwork

• Available in A4 / 8.3x11.7" (Unsigned), A3 / 11.7x16.5" (Signed edition of 50) including a border for easy framing
• Supplied with a signed, stamped & numbered Certificate of Authenticity for provenance
• Presented on acid-free, archival cotton Photo Rag Giclée paper with a chalky smooth finish, from Hahnemühle the world’s oldest mill who have been producing fine art papers for more than 500 years
• We recommend you to take care when handling this museum-grade print. Buying a pre-framed print will ensure your artwork is protected and ready to hang.
• Guaranteed archival life of 100+ years
• Carbon neutral, sustainable production, packaging and shipping
• Global delivery with tracked & insured shipping

Shipping and returns

Orders are dispatched within 3-5 days working days. Thereafter, they should arrive within 1 to 4 days to the UK/Europe, in 2 to 5 days to North America and 5 to 7 days for Australia/New Zealand. Other destinations may vary - please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery. Once your order is shipped, you will receive a tracking number via email.

Our printing company is 100% carbon neutral and all our packaging is environment friendly. Everything is either recyclable or biodegradable and that includes the stickers, tape, compostable bubble wrap as well as the frame edge protectors used.

Your artwork will be sustainably packaged and well protected, but on the rare occasion there are issues, we will do our best to make it right. More information here.