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Sketching Grass on a Snowy Day

We had about two inches of snow last night, everything is covered in a soft white blanket. All our flowers that were finally coming up are now covered but at least the daffodils haven’t bloomed yet.

Above is the Hawthorn I painted not long ago, and I’ll be putting a post up about that soon. I’m following fox tracks in the snow and they led here, then it jumped up on the wall and walked behind the tree! I love following tracks in snow to see what story it tells, guessing at what happened in the night.

The tracks led here also, where a fox jumped and hopefully got a vole! I did a Youtube video talking about it and will link it at the end. The grass clump above is what I decided to draw.

Here’s my little field watercolor palette, holding it in one hand with my fat mittens on!

It’s hard to take pictures while holding things!

I was trying to show how I hold the sketchbook against me and the palette, both in the same hand. I used to have a small hard panel that I would clip them to, I’ll have to revisit that idea! Kind of like a clipboard but skinnier.

Here’s my field kit I used today, it’s a small one. I stepped into the wood shed a minute so I could put things down to take a picture and video tape.

“Grasses in the Snow”, watercolor and ink

My finished little study, I like how it came out. I put together a short Youtube video about doing this sketch and I show my field kit. Find it RIGHT HERE, give me a like and leave a comment if you can!

I’ll be sharing another post soon, about the Hawthorn tree and Mossy Wall, with lots of stages of painting to see. I’m also saving my pennies (pence?) to buy a new printer so I can get back to offering prints and note cards, stay tuned!!

“Blackberry Picking Mouse”

I’m excited to share my latest little illustration called “Blackberry Picking Mouse”. It’s done mostly in watercolors with only a tiny touch of gouache and it measures 6″ x 6″. It’s not for any book in particular, I just enjoy making up little scenes using mice, bunnies etc., especially when they are in nature.

“Blackberry Mouse” watercolor, ink and a touch of gouache.

I’ve created a video on my youtube channel where I talk a bit about it and then show a slide show of the stages of painting beginning to end. It’s really great to watch and see what parts appear next and see how I’ve changed some things. When you watch it, keep an eye on the butterfly!

I have a few little (square) mouse paintings I’m working on, they make such a nice collection! I’m planning to make a note card collection with them if I can save up enough to buy a printer.

Follow this link to watch the video on my channel, and please leave me a comment there of what you think about it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94qef86aFeI It would be doubly great if you subscribe and share my links, that would really help me get started on the channel!

I’m finding it fun to shoot videos when I’m out in the garden, where I’ve been spending most of my time. Capturing from the beginning, our living here in Scotland in a very old stone cottage. I’m hoping to do more sharing there of my going out field sketching or maybe to show stages of painting like the “Blackberry Picking Mouse” illustration.

It really fires me up when my readers leave me comments so please do leave them here or definitely on the Video! Cheers and enjoy!

PS. I have a private video I’ll be sharing here on the website soon, of a walk Gary and I took, it’s just music playing, no talking. I really like it but we’ve decided for this one to keep it just for the folks who find it here on my website!