It's beginning to look...

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas with decorations showing up in

the woods and in parks, seemingly random acts of decoration, but someone has taken time

and care with them.

Thank you, I am sure they bring smiles to a lot of faces.

This one takes advantage of a rather odd shaped tree and was about a 1/2 mile down a trail and

took planning because whoever did this needed a ladder.

..and a battery pack.

This tree is decorated every year in December and then the decorations disappear again in

January.

Here's a look at the whole tree.

Of course nature provides beautiful decorations too,

...and occasionally even building materials for winter fun.

These children are taking full advantage of a snowfall (taken last winter).

This is one of "our" Anna's hummingbirds that visits feeders each day throughout the year

 

and provided inspiration for my Christmas card this year:

"Santa Anna" (a watercolour)

May the Christmas season fill your home with joy,

your heart with love,

and your life with laughter.

Merry Christmas!

Well that is all I have for this week, hope you are all keeping well, take care of yourselves,

Happy Whimsy Wednesday,

Gillian 



A bit windy lately?

We have some had some strong winds lately blowing over trees and downing power lines. We lost power but luckily only for about 12 hours.

Here are some pictures I took on a windy day earlier this month. We were on a Ferry travelling between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo when I got these pictures of sailboats enjoying some very good winds.

The temperature was hovering around the freezing mark so I hope they were dressed warmly. Brrr....

 

These boats were sailing in Howe Sound to too far from our starting point of Horseshoe Bay.



 

It must have been a pretty exciting sail, the boats moving and a really good clip and tipped over a bit further than I would be comfortable with were I in their positions.

 

Luckily I was on the upper deck of a large, very stable ferry.

 

I this one I managed to catch one the small ferries just emerging from a sheltered cove.

 

A thrilling day!

 

Is this sailboat in trouble?

 

I don't think so, even though it looks as if there is a boat approaching to check. 

 

 

Just a change of tack (coming about) I think because below all appears to be well.

 

 

I took this picture partly because I thought the beacon on the shore looked like a person standing at attention watching the action.

 

 

That's all the boat pictures I took, my hands were getting too cold so I went inside and had a nice hot cup of tea.

 

Once we arrived at our destination, Fanny Bay, the ocean was smooth as glass. That is Chrome Island  in the distance, looking like a sailing ship travelling the coastal waters.

 

I have been working on Christmas presents and commissions recently so I thought I'd share a negative painting exercise that I did recently.

 

What is negative painting? Painting with a bad attitude? No, actually negative painting (or negative space) means that rather than painting the object itself, the painter creates its shape by painting around it. 

 

After splashing different colour washes and some salt on my paper I waited for it to dry and then "imagined" some holly emerging:

 

 

 

... so I thought maybe a bit boring, so this is the same painting with a "palette knife effect":

 

 

... and a stained glass effect, thought this was particularly appropriate at this time of year

 

.. and finally I added a zoom burst effect.

 

 Which do you like best?

 

Well that is all I have for this week, hope you are all keeping well, take care of yourselves, it is a busy time of year, it is important to save yourself some "me" time.

 

Happy Whimsy Wednesday,

 

Gillian

 

 



A walk on the bright side

We have a lot of heavy rain here lately so when a sunny day dawned I wanted to take full advantage. I walked along the beach and back through the forest.

 

A freighter waits in the harbour just off Lighthouse Park.

 

 

A golden eye watching another dive.

 

Hooded Mergansers I think

 

Shell and driftwood catching a few rays

 

 

a few patches of frost remained in shady areas

 

you know I love shells

 

the light is low this time of year but the sun was catching a few leaves and some moss

 

lots of mushrooms this time of year

 

a couple more patches of light

 

 

a creek and some birds

a varied thrush

 

a Pileated Woodpecker excavating the side of a tree

 

and finally a beautiful reflection

 

 

 

refreshed now I am back in the studio and here is what I have been up to

 

a new watercolour of a small town in the Veneto region of Italy:

 

called "Asolo" it is 14" X 20"

 

 

Well that is all for today, thanks for dropping by and happy Whimsy Wednesday, sorry about missing last week, a senior moment perhaps,

 

Gillian