Jachelt

This is one of the most stunning images I have seen on Pixabay, which has a lot of wonderful royalty-free photos; here is the direct link to it:  https://pixabay.com/photos/fog-moor-moorland-birch-tree-mood-1717410/ 

This photo is moody and mysterious, and you can certainly imagine how spooky it could be to come upon suddenly, lost in a whirl of fog on a lonely moorland. I tried to capture it in my own watercolor.

This painting is significantly different than some of my other paintings.  I used the wet-in-wet technique throughout the painting, creating several layers of glazes before adding the details of grasses.  These I did using negative painting over the washes.  Then, more solid brushwork for the tree, branches, and scrub in the lower corners.

16 x 20 Arches 140# cold press paper.

 

Instax Gratification – Wide

It has been absolutely perfect weather around here – 72F, clear skies, and just spring-moving-into-summer!

On a day like this, it is silly not to pick up your butt, pick up your camera, and get out of the house. Today I loaded up the Instax Wide 300, and meandered through the neighboring college campus.

It is deserted. Consequently, as with elsewhere, wildlife is taking over.

Birds, squirrels, crows, rattle snakes, bunnies, and even coyotes.  Crows were everywhere.

The wilder parts of the campus are overgrown with mustard and fennel.

It was great to feel a bit lost in the wild, but I also kept a sharp eye out for rattlers – not something you want to run into.

Tomorrow I think I’ll head out to the local creek.

Reflections on a Still Day

Today is a calm, slightly muggy day.  Where I live, no open water running through a flat land, few clouds.  Instead, there are mountains and the little bit of green we get with spring rains is giving way to brown.  Much as I love where I live, and find its austerity beautiful, I also crave wet, hot days.  This will have to do.

 

Instax Gratification – Mini 90

I have been craving a film fix. Yeah, I can go out with a film camera loaded with film – but nowhere nearby is currently processing film! I’ve determined the next Big Project is to master black and white processing at home – really getting it down – and then perhaps some color. Maybe even slide. So, to fill that craving, I dug out my box of Instax cameras (Mini 90 and Wide 300). The Mini was loaded, so I took a few using it.

Just outside the door to the Dog Free Zone – wine red dahlias and some bulb I cannot remember …

Shadows of the picnic table in the late afternoon.

Vining petunias in a lovely pink.

And finally, as the daylight fades, the banana and lemons on the granite countertop.

Oh, yeah!