Sketching the Pandemic Year 2020 Week 53

Sketching the Pandemic Year 2020 Week 53 December 27-January 2 

The nature’s jewels whether it’s the largest rough diamond mined and then crafted into a necklace or the vibrant colors of the blueberry bush in winter are all wondrous!  ‘The Cullinan Blue Diamond necklace’ in the Smithsonian Engagement Calendar  2020  a gift given to his wife Annie by Thomas Cullinan ‘ features nine blue diamonds and 253 colorless diamonds in rose gold and silver setting made around 1910. Suspended from the bow is the 2.60 carat Cullinan Blue Diamond, named for Thomas Cullinan, then Chairman of the Premiere Mine in South Africa.’  It was to commentate the largest diamond ever mined at 3106 carrots.  That diamond was gifted to King Edward VII of England.  I don’t know if the miner who found the diamond received any bonus! 

Blueberry bush in winter colors watercolor by Meera Rao 

A year of sheltering at home savoring the beauty and wonder of nature, moved me to appreciate and be grateful for every day miracles. I revisited the  year 2020 as I  posted these 53 sketches and my thoughts! In January of this year I received my first covid-19 vaccine.  Yet, ten months later, the pandemic is definitely not quite over and life is going on in a new normal- much different and still masked!