Bow Valley Provincial Park Trails October 29, 2020

West into the Foothills at Bow Valley Provincial Park was today's choice place to fill up on mountain scenery, fresh air & exercise.  Our seasons the past couple of weeks have been predictably fickle.  Today we hiked through the remnants of last week's winter weather with visions of autumn still to be had.  I like how the mix of seasons offers pretty picture opportunities!    

Before meeting my friends, I went for an earlier morning visit to Middle Lake. 

The forecast was for blue sky in the morning, thereafter time to take warning.

We began our hike from the Visitor Centre and spent a little time working our way through the trees before coming out into the open where the views began.  

a picnic spot with a view

morning light on Yamnuska

We arrived at the Campground and followed the entire length of it that sits on the edge of the Bow River.  Between admiring the river views I also checked out campsites along the way to see which ones I might like to stay at a few nights some day.  This one would be perfect for me!  

We were able to step down to the river's edge but there were only a few spots where it was safe to do so at this time of year.  That's when we realized the trumpeter swans were visiting this location.  What a sight to see and to hear!  

It was just us and the swans and their songs!

A gray sky is not my favourite but when it appeared today I liked the look.   

There was just enough open calm water for reflections to be visible.

Just down the trail from here we stopped for lunch.  With a bit of a wind and a higher humidity level, I needed all my layers (five on top) for dining time.  The desire has come once again for pairing a hot beverage with my meal.  Today I choose to add a teaspoon of Rolo hot chocolate powder to chai tea.   The aroma alone was heart warming!  

We had about six kilometres ahead of use after lunch so hit the trail and made our way on official trails with a little bit of off trail.  The not rain, yet not quite snow, sprinkles started and we had that for the balance of our hike.   I always enjoy this area and I am thinking I want another visit here when we are fully into winter-wonderland season.

frosty fringes

It's been awhile since I sketched the feathers of a bird or the fur of an animal.  I knew there was a more artistic way of laying those items on paper than I have been doing.   I did some homework on the technique and purchased new tools to use for the process.  Embossing tools with a variety of tip sizes should do the job.  While searching through my photo albums for a subject matter, I came across numerous frosty hair shots.  I had a light bulb moment!  The birds and animals will have to wait for another day.  

The lessons I learned while working on the above project:  *all indents from the embossing tools need to be placed before any colour is sketched,  *sketching direction cannot be the same direction as the embossing,  *loads of indents are necessary to get the desired look,  *white prisma cannot be sketched in an indent surrounded by blue polychromo.  The above frosty fringes was my second try at this project.  I knew I could improve if I tried a third time.  

My third attempt was put together from two photographs of cross-country skiing at Confederation Park in the past years.  I believe I could still improve upon the amount of frostiness.  I am sure there will be many opportunities to secure frosty fringe photos this coming winter that could become the subject for my fourth try! Stay tuned for that! 

 

Bowmont Baker Bowness Parks October 25, 2020

Waiting until the afternoon when the temperature was to rise to a minus single digit very close to zero celsius would not afford me the sights I wanted to see and capture.  Dressed in full on attire for a frigid -18C with windchill of -26C, I exited my vehicle just after sunrise in the Bowness parking lot for an urban hike around Bowness, Baker and Bowmont Parks.   This place was not happening people-wise but it sure was scenery-wise!

The sun was just high enough and the sky was clear enough and those paired with it being cold enough, the views were breathtaking.  Although some might find the cold would take their breath away. I love winter and I have the gear so I can be out and about in it comfortably for extended periods of time.  The photographs depict the cold beauty!

with cheeks as red as can be

a wide smile almost frozen in place

feeling that warmth from contentment

home was now calling

⛄⛄⛄

snow is everywhere

"Oh the weather outside is frightful" and while it is I am opting to stick closer to home.  Yet, my heart is where the snow is!  After learning a few lessons related to winter sketching, I packaged the lessons together and created this inviting scene.  I used visions of my own and incorporated ideas from tutorials switching up layouts and colours and this is the package I have to present.  After completing this project then photographing it, I realized I now need to learn how to sketch ice.  A full open running creek does not fit in with the middle of winter.  As this was a practice piece, I did not use the good quality paper.   I now feel I am ready to try my hand at replicating one of my own inviting winter photographs!  

These days here, there is snow everywhere even in my home!  Snowflakes that is!  I love how each flake out in nature is so delicate and unique. They are intricate and to sketch one takes a steady hand laying the details down on paper. I added a new tool to my stash, it is an artist pen of black permanent ink with a size medium tip.  It was used in the building of each of these snowflakes.

While I am still waiting until I can physically escape west to the big winter wonderland, I went there in my mind with these sketches.  Getting lost in the detail of the snowflakes is an escape on its own.     

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary October 22, 2020

With big fluffy flurries falling it would not be a day to admire far off wide open vistas.  With the cold temperature and the wind chill it would not be a day to stand around, but that is exactly what I did lots of today.  I didn't quite prepare properly with the level of layering to be standing around bird watching at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary but I did it anyway and for longer than I had originally planned.  Numerous surprising sights occurred which made for an interesting outing.  

I was greeted by two blue herons which was a surprise!  They should have done what the snowbirds do and that is be gone south already.  The two herons were dozing off and on and were curled and tucked into themselves looking like they were trying to stay warm. Except for the bottom right photo, I snapped that after what I believe was a sneeze by the bird!

woodpecker pecking away

I was surprised to see the muskrat!  

It was either bashful, or trying to hide, or did not want it's photo taken.  

It stood there with its paws over its face for the longest while.  

I came to the bird sanctuary to see birds and a bunny got thrown into the mix.

It did seem to be an odd day at the Sanctuary!

This surprising sight confirmed, YES this is an odd day at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary!  I do not believe they are bird watching!  They exchanged pleasantries with me as I walked by but did not share if they were having success with their sight searching!  

After a couple of hours of wandering about and standing around, 

I could almost taste homemade chai latte, 

so homeward bound it was! 

🍵

success with showing white

My interest and focus come in the early hours so when the calling is shouted out, I answer!  With no distractions, I went with white on white sketching and had success.  I followed tutorials to learn how to produce three items:  a snowman, a snow laden tree, a cabin in the mountains.   All three sketches were enjoyable to work on, especially the snow laden tree as it took on life very early into my work on it.  Now it's time to incorporate these into one practice project.  I know when I am out & about this winter my focus  will be as always to "remember to breathe" yet there will be an added touch, I will be asking myself "is that view sketchable?" 

 

quality = quality

Back in April of this year when I got the bright idea to try sketching with coloured pencils, I picked a photo I took of the Egypt Lake Shelter to be my first project.  I knew nothing other than I needed sketching paper and coloured pencils.  I had both which were sitting in my basement for a few years. The pencils were the $10.00 brand for 24 pencils and the sketch book was $3.00 from the "$" store.  

I picked this photo of The Shelter sitting in front of Pharaoh Peak.  I took it while on a very long day hike in Banff National Park on June 28, 2019. It sits on a bench above Pharaoh Creek and is run by Parks Canada.  Just down the trail five minutes is the Park Wardens Cabin. We had our tea inside the Shelter while it rained outside.  I knew this would not be a Shelter I would care to stay overnight in but I would like to stay at a backcountry campground site close by.   

from this photo

I produced this!  Back in April I thought this was quite something and I was so proud of it.  I enjoyed the journey from beginning to end of the sketch and I knew I was hooked.  Back in April I spent most of my days in some kind of a funk and sketching helped me in ways I needed to be helped.

Fast forward almost six months!  I had upgraded those coloured pencils and sketch pads to an artist's quality over the months and watched many tutorials and practiced practiced practiced.  That first sketch of The Shelter sat on the side of my table always visible knowing one day I would do a do-over.  An artistic friend offered suggestions on ways to improve the sketch.   

This is the journey on the do-over!  

This is my final product! 

A couple of hours each day over a few days was the time needed to get to the point where I felt fulfillment when I looked at it.   I will enjoy the fruits of my labor and then it's time to get back to figuring out how to sketch snow!  Distracted again, I am mastering that!  

Nose Creek decorated in sweet sugar October 17, 2020

While the snow and cold I can easily brave, it's the icy road reports that keep me close to home.  That was the case this morning.  My level of bravery got me as far as Nose Creek, Confluence Park and the Birth Forest.  The kms I can cover here accumulate and get up there all while today offering the wintry sights I had hoped to witness.   Pure winter white so sugary sweet was the topping on many of Mother Nature's designs.  

a patterned pathway

The trees and bushes were laden with the new snow. 

I dropped by to see how the siberian larch trees were progressing through this weather.  Of the dozen or so, this one was holding on and not ready to give up on autumn.  While not quite golden it still glowed under the blue sky and sunshine.

As I was getting up close and personal with the larch needles, an atmosphere optic formed.  

This sundog was the topping on my morning outing.  

white on white sketching gone awry

The purpose of this post was supposed to be a report on my wonderful accomplishments of sketching white objects on white paper!  My thinking was with winter on the verge of being upon us, my sketching projects may include snow.  How does one sketch snow on white paper?  I googled how to sketch white objects on white paper and what came up were simple tutorials on sketching white lilies and green lily pads in lily ponds.  I was quite sure I had my own photos of these items to sketch from.  Sure enough on one of my visits back home, my valley friend took me to see the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens which are situated on six acres of land at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.  These gardens included numerous Acadian region habitats along with wall gardens, food gardens, medicinal gardens and experimental gardens.  I remember it being such a beautiful, peaceful, soothing place to wander about.

Well, I followed a tutorial which resulted in this being my sketched version of a portion of the lily pad garden we saw.  There are no white colours used, it's the surrounding colours that do the trick. I also incorporated the rain drop effect which I learned in a prior lesson. This is as far as I got with learning how to sketch white on white because...

...I came across other lily and lily pad tutorials which appealed to me.

So that leaves me at this point having no idea how I am going to sketch snow!  

Tutorial time again with hopes of not another distraction!  

Tunnel Mountain October 15, 2020

It's a most beautiful time of the year and I had the urge to be caught up in it all!  Upon the completion of a bit of homework, I knew heading into Banff National Park would hold me captive.  It did exactly that in leaps and bounds with a hike up Tunnel Mountain and a stroll along the Bow River in the Banff townsite.  The drive to Banff itself was gorgeous then once I arrived I knew immediately my urge would be fulfilled!

I parked in the lower parking lot to catch the beginning of the trail up Tunnel Mountain.  I was thankful for the many layers I brought and for my spikes as I needed everything.  Soon after beginning it was time to cross the closed road to the next section of the trail.  As you can see the road was a sheer sheet of ice and for the remainder of the hike there was ice and packed snow making for very slippery conditions.

Along the way there were openings through the trees.  

There's Sulphur Mountain a way over there with the Cosmic Ray Station.

On the way up I met a few others already coming down.  By the time I arrived at the red chairs and this opening, there was no one else around.  I enjoyed some time here doing what I came here to do, getting caught up in a most beautiful time of the year.

Higher up along the trail there is another wide open space and this is the view from there.

That's Banff townsite down below.

There is Sulphur Mountain again with the gondola station in the middle amongst the trees.  

You can see the straight line to the left of the big tree.

That's the route the gondola takes up the side of the mountain.  

view in the other direction looking down at the Banff golf course and the Bow River

On my way back down I met many others on their way up.  

By now the trail was very packed and very icy.  

Once again I was thankful I put spikes on.

I reached my car and then drove back down to the townsite to take a stroll along the Bow River. 

It was still very cold, the air was calm, and the reflections were perfect.  

I like this look where autumn meets winter!

This was a most enjoyable introduction to this season's snow.  

It brings hope of all kinds for the winter to come!