Ice.pocalypse 2017 . . .

Ice Storm : January 2017 


Sedum and frozen Bur Oak leaf

Surprise snow days . . .

The forecast - light rain, maybe a flurry. The end result - 6" of wet snow. But what a great day to warm up the shop and clear the bench for watercolor playtime.

With flakes falling as big as chicken feathers, staying in and watching the cedars change was enough inspiration to experiment with faded greens and foggy distance. Learning how to pale out the snow and fog is more than just adding water - it's greying out a color and learning value differences.

You know how some sketchbook artists can hold up their sketchbook to show you the lovely scene they just painted? Well, apparently that's an acquired skill. Or maybe my scene was too far away. And photographing with your phone in one hand and your painting in the other, all the while trying to bring the background scene into focus so it all makes sense? Harder than it looks. Trust me. You can barely make out the scene across the road. And the Burning Bush at the end of our drive? Pssshh.

I love this old Mulberry.

Across the gravel road . . .

The beautiful, ever-changing view across the gravel road from our farmette.

This scene moves easily from full on snow in January and February to patchy snow in late winter, pale greens in the spring, tall Big Bluestem in summer months, and the eventual blonding heads turning rusty red when summer's over.

I love every month and season of this view and have been thankful for every year we have lived here that the land is protected CRP, never having been broken.

To think that this is the same field that was burned off in the spring to eradicate weeds and was so soon green again is wonderful to have witnessed.

I will be painting this same scene again with the fall colors and quite possibly a few of the blackened earth during the spring burn.

Loosen the grip and lose the fear . . .

Rock Creek Road

I'm never sure where to quit.  I pull it off the board, I tape it to the fireplace or stick it to the fridge so I can live with it for a while before I decide but I fear overworking while I try to loosen my grip.  Loosen the grip - lose the fear. Mantra for the day.