Think Spring, even if it is only Feb.

Like many I have been anticipating Spring, something I usually do about this time of year when the cold and dark seem to be lasting forever. Though I have to say our mild winter has allowed me to be out and about a lot more than usual so I don't have the cabin fever I might usually have. Still real spring is about 6 weeks away. I know the equinox is about 4 weeks off, but real spring doesn't arrive here in MA until April, usually, it will be interesting to see when it arrives this year.

Anyway, I have been working on more ATC flowers. Above are a couple of daffodils based on some photos I made in previous springs. Yellow is a tricky color to scan so the above isn't totally accurate color wise, but close enough I think. I used a bit of ink line work in this and then used watercolor for the color, done on cold press watercolor paper.

Above is my Nature Journal spread from my visit yesterday to Daniel Webster. The top image is of the tree stump in the man made pond. Yesterday there was actually a turtle hauled out at the near end. Last week this end of the pond where the stump is was frozen, this week there was only a bit of ice at some of the edges. Last week the reeds were frozen in the ice, this week they were floating on the surface. I am not sure that this turtle is being particularly wise emerging so early but only time will tell.

My second image may be a bit hard to read. It is two Canada Geese. One has its neck stretched out toward the other, and was actually hissing at the other Goose. Not sure what was going on here, the two birds had flown onto the pond together with a few other geese, and for some reason this one was threatening the other. The attack (if it was an attack) went on for several minutes and I never saw the other goose reply in kind. From reading Konrad Lorenz many years ago I believe this neck gesturing is a form of aggression with geese. Course he was raising Greylag geese, but I have seen other Canada Geese make a similar gesture, though usually on land when another goose has gotten in its space. Still for all I know it could be courting behavior and not aggression at all, I wasn't really watching long enough to figure it out.

Above is last nights figure drawing. I am only semi satisfied with it. I feel that I should have spent more time on her face as I have some of the shadows too dark and others not dark enough.

Scott has been wanting to change things up a bit these past couple of weeks, so last week our model had a shirt on, this week she was wearing a hat, shoes, fishnet leggings and a short bed jacket, sort of like a bolero jacket. The hat and the jacket were both red, almost making me wish I was painting like many of the other artists.

One last image:

A photograph I made yesterday at Daniel Webster, it is a view of the river with some grasses that grow along the shore line, blue sky, and a stand of winter bare trees.

That is it for today. I need to spend some more time working on my Geese drawing, and also on a pen and ink piece, maybe next update. In the meantime comments are always welcome, and I want to wish a happy Fat Tuesday to all.