sights of the season

It's the soft colours that capture me at this time of year!  I took a few online watercolour painting lessons this past while and they involved laying wet on wet, creating depth and dimension,  sprinkling salt and using metallic paint.  I went with winter scenes where I could incorporate those soft shades.  

While this first painting may have a simplistic look, there is lots going on.  The sky was created using deeply diluted paint placed on very wet paper then blending the colours to give soft edges. The same technique was used for the creek trying to place the colours so they look like they are reflecting from the sky.  The trees were painted with various levels of diluted paint.  The purpose of this is to add depth to the scene.  The sprinkles of white gouache were made with a toothbrush and also a paint brush.  At first a very watery gouache was used to make big snowflakes and the tiny flakes were made with straight gouache.   

Painting a few sights of the season helped to get me in a December spirit!  I purchased some metallic paints that I used in the babbles and you can also see it mixed in with the night sky paints where the couple is walking their dog.  I added a bit of silver metallic paint to the paint I used for the trees in that same project.  For the two paintings on the right, I experimented again with salt in the sky.  The paint has to be at just the right level of dampness for the salt to work and I think I timed it right.  Once the salt is laid then dried and rubbed off, you are left with beautiful little flowery flaky formations.  

In addition to making my own sights of the season, 

there was loads to see while "out & about" this past while.  

The White-Breasted Nuthatch winters in Calgary!  

I like the golden glow that comes at this time of year!

It's the song of the Black-Capped Chickadee that is colourful!  

I noticed the three coyotes had reddish colouring!

The Male Mallard's head glows so green!

The Male Mallard's red feet are slipping on the ice as it tries to get away!

Is white a colour?  I almost stepped on this rabbit!  

It was hunkered down where I am assuming it felt warm & sheltered from the cold & wind.  

a few more sights of the season