Hiking & Painting in Nature – Chicago
Clouds are rolling in from the northwest. Diffused sunlight still sparkles and dances on top of Bullfrog Lake, despite all of the clouds. It is a pleasant and cool breeze which brushes up against my skin and refreshes me. The same breeze that plays music in between the leaves on top of the trees. And maybe still, it is … Continue reading Blessings and Fears at Bullfrog Lake
I escaped to the woods. I am on the hunt for I don't know what. Will I find peace of mind? Will I find a revelation? Will I just explore? I pray it is all or any of these! It is a mild 55°F. There is no wind and the sky is overcast. The air … Continue reading Wolf Road Woods Watercolor Sketch
Thunderstorms raced throughout the night before, leaving this morning's sketch class pretty warm and steamy. It didn't bother us a bit. Matter of fact, under the cool shadow of the forest, the most delightful aroma of sweet, wet, earth played with our senses. We all agreed how wonderful it was. Here we took shelter, hiding from the sun … Continue reading Sketch Class Results June 2012
About a week ago, I made a mid-day hike in the summer heat at Red Gate Woods. Crazy? Maybe. I didn't realize how humid it was until going up several steep hills on the orange trail. When the back of your shirt becomes saturated with sweat...it's humid. Yuck. What was yummy on the other hand, was all … Continue reading Red Gate Woods Sketch
Last Saturday a group of us met for another Little Red Schoolhouse Sketch Class. Because of the recent rains, we knew that if we painted outside our watercolors would take forever to dry, so we decided to start with an indoor sketch of the fox family display. We went slow...step by step...and boy did they … Continue reading Sketch Class Results April 2012
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
Last Saturday morning greeted us with a brisk biting wind and a mere 20°F. Brrrrrrr. We love nature but we're not crazy...so we decided to sketch from inside the nature center. Each of us found a spot we wanted to paint from and got to work. The hard part is balancing sketchbook, paints, brushes, water, … Continue reading Feb 2012 Sketch Class Results
Oh the treasures in nature! How can I express such joy from my adventures in the woods with simple text? Not possible. Well, let's try... Yesterday I decided to walk the yellow trail from Pioneer Woods. It was a cold but strong sunny day. In the late afternoon light, the bare trees took on a golden … Continue reading Coyote Skull Sketch
The cold realities of winter did not hinder our love for art and nature. All eager participants showed up bright and early on this frosty January morning, ready to get to work play. We did however, agree to sketch from inside the nature center as the wind was fierce and the wind chill was in the … Continue reading Sketch Class Results Jan 2012
Come hike with me on the blue trail at Bullfrog Lake! Click to listen (hiking on gravel trail with dried leaves) There, now you're hiking with me! It is very calm. There is no wind and the trees are mute. Can you see the peach color in the sky just above the horizon? I LOVE … Continue reading Blue Trail Bridge at Bullfrog Sketch
