Snow Along the Creek

 

Hooray for a snow that lasted all week, and for a few more snowflakes to come on Sunday!  With a few flakes dancing about, the mood is just right for wooded winter painting.  The wind begins to kick up, and I work a little faster as the cold nips at my nose. I love how quiet the world becomes under a blanket of snow.  Painting number 4777 in 4777 days.  

African Goats in the Snow

 

I LOVE when these African goats come to visit - they are so paintable! It has been years since I've played in the pastels, and I'm a little rusty.  I sketched my scene first with a pastel pencil, then laid in the masses with my pan pastels.  I chose a red oxide sanded paper because I thought it would compliment my scene, but I feel like I was fighting it.  I found it hard to bring the lights out of that dark beginning.  Next time, I'll choose a lighter color and see if that helps my process.  My daughters were asking about learning pastels, so I thought I'd better get them all out and clean them up.  Now, I'm thinking of all the animal paintings I could use them for!  Painting number 5071 in 5071 days. 

Wildflower Ridge

 I hiked to the end of the lake to find this special vantage.  My favorite TWSBI fountain pen is running out of black ink, so I used Thunderstorm by Robert Oster in another favorite pen. It's dark and chromatic, and separates when wet.  There are baby wildflowers planted all over this place, and this will be gorgeous in the coming years!  Painting number 5029 in 5029 days. 

By the River

There is so much beauty in the world, and it is my daily pleasure to  try to do it justice with paint. This day was full of family as we watched grandchildren and spent time with daughters and a son and son-in-law, too.  Mike is helping the grandsons get ready for TSA competitions in April, so the kitchen has turned to a workshop.  The cold temps have preserved the snow for another day, and so I paint, knowing we might not get another snow.  Each painting is colored with my day's experience, so this one glows a bit with the anticipated golden hour. Every day is a gift, and this day was full of many of them. Painting number 4056 in 4056 days. 

Herefords in the Snow

 

I love when these guys come model for me - even when they don't stick around!  Their warm hues are accentuated by those cool blues in the snow. The sky was just beginning to warm up - so I pushed that warmth to further set off the snow. It was warmer today than it has been for days - and with the hedgerow windbreak, I was toasty. Another Arctic blast comes tonight with a little more snow.  I hope to get a few more snow paintings finished before the rain comes next week!  Painting number 4026 in 4026 days.  

Warm Light on Winter Creek

Oh. how I love a gorgeous snow along a creek!  Warm light cast on the background trees and water as the clouds lifted. No wind and temps in the mid 30s made for a lovely plein air day.  The birds were singing as I worked, and the time spent in nature soothes my soul.  I'm so lucky to spend this time outdoors with my paint. Painting number 4020 in 4020 days. 

Autumn Hay Bale

I often paint over old paintings, and there is a walking bridge though the woods under this one.  At 5 inches wide, it doesn't quite fit my 7x5 thumb box pochade, but that doesn't stop me.  I spent most of the day looking at this scene while cutting trees and brush from around the milk barn. I just had to make time to get this painted! The reds of autumn are fading fast, so I'm out making the most of it while the leaves remain.  I love having the hay bales in the pasture so much, too.  I hope to get many more paintings before they are removed!  Painting number 3962 in 3962 days. 

Autumn Path to the Woods

 

I'm thankful today for an amazing day to spend at the zoo with family - and a little time to paint, too!  The chilly start soon turned to the 70s - and we couldn't have had a better day for family fun!  The most beautiful leaves are fading, but I'm hopeful the reds will soon begin.  The path to the southwest pasture is lovely in it's autumn glow - and it just had to be painted in oils.  What a treat this late in November!  Painting number 3950 in 3950 days. 

Last Whisper of Sunset

Oh, how I love the moment the sun slips below the horizon!  All is still this evening in the landscape, and only the sound of my brushes working to capture this light breaks the quiet.  I wish I somehow had the time to paint sunset every day, how much a could learn from that daily practice!  Perhaps I can focus on this in January, when my schedule eases up a little.  There's just something special about sunrise and sunset each day.  Painting number 3946 in 3946 days. 

Country Road

 

Oh, how I love painting old country roads, and Missouri is full of them! Winding through the countryside, the landscape unfolds into countless paintings.  Love spending quiet moments among the sounds of birds and bees, and it is a joy to capture this place in oils.  Painting number 3888 in 3888 days. 

Memory Lane

 

I love using Diamine's Memory Lane ink for this miniature painting out by the barn!  It's a lovely red violet that washes with water and turns turquoise with a little bleach!  I think this ink will be lovely in the spring when blooms are lighting up the landscape!  Painting number 3677 in 3677 days and day 29 #stradaeasel challenge 😍🎨

Olive Swirl Cedar

When I first opened the little door and saw this ink, I must admit I had reservations.  Olive ink?  Well, this is no ordinary green!  It shifts from a cool, almost cad green to warm olive with shimmering gold.  Then, little sparkles in that cool green emerge as the ink dries - truly inspired!  I am painting my rural Missouri landscape with chic, glamorous inks - and I'm loving the exploration of it all!  I must find a fountain pen for this one, because I am adding it to my arsenal!  What lovely color play it will create in my ink work!  Day 18 in Diamine's Inkvent Calendar 2022, and painting number 3650 in 3650 days.  Ten years of daily painting today!  I did have to correct my number - I got off track somewhere along the way, haha! 

Serendipity at Home

Diamine's Serendipity ink is on my pen today!  I just HAD to take a break and get out there on such a gorgeous day!  I am taking a few liberties with my landscape, using my Artistic License with this rich blue ink.  It makes a lovely nocturne color, and I'm remembering the snow of just two days ago.  They never last long enough, and if I can't have snow to paint, a December day in the 60s will totally compensate!  Painting number 4138 in 4138 days. 

Silent Night Hay Bales

 

It is so nice to get a few moments to capture the snow after gathering with family!  With warming temps, the snow won't last long. I'm using a couple of brushes along with my glass dip pen to play with these new colors, after sketching in the scene with an India ink pen  I Love this etch blue ink - Silent Night by Diamine  - day 19 of their Inkvent Calendar!  It shifts with water, but I didn't check for a bleach reaction - I'll have to do that on a warmer day!  Painting number 4133 in 4133 days. 

Alpine Landscape

Love how this new ink from the Diamine Inkvent Calendar captures this cold, snowy day!  There is much chroma in this ink, which really shows it's color on wet areas. The turquoise pops are the reaction to a little bleach, which is lovely!  This ink is day 7 in the calendar - though I've worked much farther than that.  I'll eventually get them all posted, then post them all together at some point.  Seriously, I need so many more hours in every day!  Painting number 4130 in 4130 days. 

Solar Storm Cedar

Solar Storm is the Day 3 ink in the Diamine Inkvent Calendar 2022, and it is a beauty!  It's rich, dark bluish violet color is a perfect night sky hue!  Pooling the ink allows it to get very dark, and the application of water shows it's true chroma.  The pale, almost peachy light tree trunk color is the result of a little bleach brushed in - just to see what it would do.  I think it might be pretty cool to flick some into that night sky - leaving the impression of falling snow.  I'll try that with the next really dark ink in this calendar.  Painting number 4119 in 4119 days. 

Hay Bales

I'm having a little fun with fountain pen ink today in the pasture - do you see who's on watch just behind the tall grass?  I wish he'd been standing there while I was painting - he would be the perfect addition to the scene!  I'm using Diamine fountain pen inks from last year's Inkvent Calendar, Candlelight, Winter Spice and Yuletide, with the tiniest bit of Wonderland added. This is a miniature paper - 4x3 roughly, 140lb cold pressed, and is well suited for this ink work.  The girls were out today and the little ones made ornaments, Mom stopped by and Michael had a friend over to work on a project, all as Mike was working on our septic tank, which decided to cave in!  So, this little sliver of time is my sanity break with the great outdoors!  I do miss all that fresh air when duties keep me inside.  Painting number 4405 in 4405 days. 

Autumn Bales

 I LOVE exploring Diamine fountain pen inks in the pasture, and discovering just what they can do!  I am using 3 from the Inkvent 2021 calendar, Candlelight, Winter Spice, Stargazer Blue and a tiny bit of Wonderland.  These inks are so chromatic that most of the color variations happen as they bleed into the water already brushed on.  Blotting helps control the masses, and I did use a rigger for some application.  In the beginning, I used droppers only - leaving much to chance!  Every painting is a lesson - and this one certainly taught me a few things!  Looking forward to many more!  Painting number 4398 in 4398 days. 

First Snow on the Cedar

Today, I'm thankful for an early snow to paint - and I simply love painting our winter wonderland first thing in the morning! In fact, I skipped the gym to paint this alarmed by the dripping from my eves.  This gorgeous blanket of snow was destined to be short lived, with temperatures hovering above freezing, so I HAD to paint it while I could!  It was still snowing and rather dark when I started this painting, and only at the finish did the skies brighten up. I'm so glad I didn't wait to paint - this landscape was completely different just hours later.  Lovely gift to behold as I'm thinking ahead to Christmas cards!  Painting number 4394 in 4394 days 

Winter Milk Barn

With warmer temperatures expected, I had to get out early to capture the snow.  The ground is already warm and soft, so the snow doesn't have a chance!  I am studying the colors of the winter landscape, trying to see the subtle changes in hue and value, and pushing them a little.  I read a wonderful quote the other day that struck a chord, "A color without it's complement is dead."  So as I look at the masses, I'm looking for the complements, too.  Those little bits of opposing color add drama, sparkle and life to the scene. I can still smell the crisp air as I look at this.  Painting number 3357 in 3357 days.