It’s been a hard winter so far, and it’s not over by a long shot, but instead of complaining about it, I try to see the beauty in these stark, cold days with their deep purple shadows and cobalt blue skies. Even on the gray days, the contrast of a maple tree silhouetted against a snowy field just gives me a little jolt of happiness.
Here’s a page from my sketchbook showing some scenes of winter in western Pennsylvania …
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| 9″x 12″ |
Standing at my kitchen sink, I have a great view of this birdfeeder just outside the window. The goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals, bluejays, and sparrows keep me entertained with their ongoing competition to see who can consume the most sunflower seeds in the shortest amount of time.
These stalwart weeds are hanging on through the blustery winds of winter (kinda like us, I guess – a little battered but hanging in there!)
Here’s a farm along Neff Road, near the town of Dry Tavern. See the gourd birdhouses hanging from the pole, waiting for the return of the purple martins in the spring? The cows were enjoying the sunshine the day I stopped by. The winter weather doesn’t seem to phase them a bit.
Blue jays are such hogs at a bird feeder. They chase away the smaller birds and just generally make a nuisance of themselves. But they’re so pretty! I love watching them. That blue color is just dreamy.
We have several bluebird houses around our property, and I always get so excited when I see the first occupants arrive in the spring. By June I’m usually a lot less enamored of them, however, because they go crazy over the ripe blueberries in my garden! Years ago, when I discovered that the reason I wasn’t getting any blueberries was because of the hoards of bluebirds dive-bombing the bushes, my brother-in-law drawled, “Well, Leslie, why do you think those bluebirds are so blue?” Very funny, Bob.
This is my favorite of the scenes on this page. Love the shadows on the haybales.
Our mailbox is out at the end of our driveway, about 1/4 mile from our house, and often Buckley and I take a walk to get the mail after lunch. It gives us a nice midday break. Doesn’t the red flag look jaunty?
I hope you enjoyed these winter sketches. I’m hoping I’ll be dipping into that spring green paint soon!
One Comment
love your paintings! I think they'd look wonderful in a calendar.