polar plunging stories

When it's polar-like outside, I plunge into the comfy & warmth inside!  We have come out the other end of the coldest days and it's safe to get back on track living life outside for extended periods of time again.  Covering distance got off to a slow start this month, I already feel I won't reach the 199 kms I covered in January.  If I could convert minutes of painting and knitting to distance, I would be travelling far!  

When I was "out & about" during the polar snap, there was total cloud cover, it was dull & dreary & grey. I was not motivated to snap shots. This motivated me to seek the beauty in the monotone look.  Then I got into learning how to paint a scene with one colour. Then I got in even deeper, learning about the emotions that monochromatic schemes can evoke!  I followed two lessons on painting a winter scene with one colour of watercolour paint.  

The first scene is painted using only Ultramarine with splatters of white gouache.  The white on the big tree is negative space.  The second scene was painted using only Paynes Grey with splatters of white gouache. You may feel chilled looking at them, yet the various levels of intensity of paint offer the sense of unity, cohesiveness and harmony.  

After completing the two tutorials, I then put to use what I learned.  This scene is painted using only Indigo with splatters of white gouache.  The white on the large trees is negative space.  The reference for the painting is the photo below which I quickly took while "out & about" on a recent polar-like day.  

This is what it took to be safe while out there.  

I took my sunglasses off to capture the selfie.

from the sea to the desert

While plunging into the warmth within my home, I passed lots of time knitting. I finished the second "Seaglass" Sock.   I also finished knitting another pair but changed the pattern to add my own twist.  The patterned dark colour is called "Saguaro".  The shade caught my attention while walking down the yarn aisle and once I saw the name of the colour, from that second on no other colour mattered.  Not only does monochromatic evoke emotions but names of colours evoke emotions for me also.

Back in February of 2022, I did a post about the Saguaro Cactus.  No doubt during those February days, I was probably plunging into the warmth of my home and investing time in learning more about the Saguaro.  This photo is from a hike in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona.  It puts into perspective, the size of a Saguaro Cactus.

photo showing the fit of the the Saguaro Sock

and that it was still monochrome outside

Today I returned to the Birth Forest to capture another photo, the same as the one I took and used as the painting reference.  This version evokes more pleasant emotions even though it still felt polar-like.  A few more people were "out & about" yet wildlife were plunged into shelters somewhere.  I choose to walk early morning, took a few more photographs yet walked at a brisk pace against the brisk cold.  It was comfortable to stay out longer yet I was happy to be back home where I could plunge back into the warmth with my "Seaglass" Socks on. 

some sights I saw