Hi Everyone,
Christmas was wonderful and January has brought with it a lot of snow, making the world both beautiful and mysterious.
My break was enjoyable, but I didn't do a lot of painting or other art/crafts. I did, however, do a lot of reading. Novels on the go, also looked over a few art books; plus watched art demonstrations. Perhaps I absorbed something which might, with any luck, be bubbling below the surface. Who knows? But I feel it was time well spent. I love slipping into books; they are worlds of wonder.
“That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” Jhumpa Lahiri
Below a few wintry photos taken with my cell phone.
On the trail in the woods recently, I could hear trees crashing under the weight of, first, a few ice storms and then several snow storms. With many of the trees towering 50 feet or more above my head, I soon beat a hasty retreat to more open spaces.
Snow shoe tracks.
T
* * *
When I was a child, the first snow always brought on the urge to build a snowman.
Often the neighborhood kids would get together for the event. If I remember correctly, the hardest part was unearthing pebbles from the frozen ground for his eyes. At that time, kids ran hither and yon to procure a hat, a carrot for his nose, a scarf, etc.
In recent years mass produced snowmen seemed to be everywhere at Christmas. Not sure why but I find those a bit creepy.
So when I decided to build/paint a snowman, I searched the internet for pictures of happy, sweet snowman. I found so many inspiring sweet faces.
This is what I came up with.
One Creepy Snowman.
Soft pastel on re-purposed pastel mat paper.
I thought of painting a bird in the upper right area, but I guess this creepy guy can stand on his own.
Cultivate Your Dreams
