Hiking & Painting in Nature – Chicago
To enjoy the song of spring, it cannot be played on an iPhone or any other artificial electronic device. That would be an insult to your ears. To see a male rose-breasted grosbeak look you in the eye and hear him bicker at you for being too close to his turf is a very intimate … Continue reading The Song of Spring Watercolor
62°F and very breezy. Somehow you don't mind the wind when it's mild, even if strong. I could sit here for hours. After only a few minutes, to my surprise, a flock of ducks descend on the water. But these are no common mallards. What are they? They communicate with each other by "whisping"....whisp, whisp, … Continue reading The Bridge – Watercolor
Did you ever hear someone groan when it started to rain? "Oh MAN!" They might sigh, "Why does it have to rain? It messes up my day. I hate rain." Oh, but the beauty! So gentle, so rare.....if you look for it. See past the sunless gray sky. See past the soggy ground. See past … Continue reading String of Diamonds Watercolor
Amazing work, that's done by hand less wonders. So graceful the bed which to incubate life. I'm in awe. This nest was built on my friend's gutter right by her front door. She has a mirror that looks like a dentist's tool, which she used to see what was in the nest when mom and … Continue reading Robin’s Miracle Watercolor Sketch
Wouldn't you like to sit for a bit? Actually, I would like to sit for a while. But a storm is brewing, traveling at its storm speed. So sitting will have to wait, lonely bench. I'll come back to you. I know where you are!
Spring 2014 A struggle to wiggle free from winter's grasp As any warm day is promptly choked And spring relents, refusing to quarrel Aloof in reverie... Are not the wildflowers underground awaiting? Awake spring for good! Gather your strength. Attack with your might. Alleviate our distress! Saturday was a beautiful warm day. The first … Continue reading Struggling Spring Sketch
A little cold and a little gray....but that didn't stop our fun at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center Sketch Class! I saw a notification on the Illinois Bird List website that a pair of Osprey were building a nest on the platform in Long John Slough, so I was very excited to tell the … Continue reading Sketch Class Results March 2012
This is Illinois countryside. My cousin took this picture while a storm was approaching a few months ago. I love it. It shows a dilapidated barn in a field of red clover. What I like about it the most is how the picture shows that even after humans fail to keep up, nature keeps on going. Nature … Continue reading Let’s Paint an Old Barn and Red Clover!
Lake Kathrine Spring watercolor sketchTender. Tender is the color of spring. Tender is the touch of the gentle breeze on my cheek. Tender are the babies which are born. Tender are the blossoms: pink, white, and blue. Do you know what's not tender in spring? Males protecting their territories! No tender, gentleness there. Yesterday I … Continue reading Lake Kathrine Spring Sketch
Spring at Centennial ParkSpring...new beginnings...tender...fresh...new life. Those are just a few words that come to mind when I think of spring. A few days ago I had the chance to experience those feelings at Centennial Park in Orland Park, IL. A cute little gazebo adorns a lake which is teaming with wildlife! On this … Continue reading Spring Gazebo Watercolor Sketch
