Snowfall

 

2/13/21 Our backyard, Maple Leaf neighborhood

 After more than a week of dire warnings, the big snow finally fell, and high winds came with it. Unusual for this area, the flakes were small and dry; they fell continuously throughout the day Feb. 13, leaving a foot on the ground by nightfall. Temps were in the high 20s and low 30s. Grateful that we were warm, fully provisioned and with nowhere to go, last Saturday was a beautiful snow day.

Almost exactly two years ago during our snowmageddon, which lasted at least a week, I sketched through nearly every window in our house. This view through a window in our back “TV room,” however, was one I had missed. Not much of a view, but even our yard waste bin is pretty when covered with snow.

Snowmageddon Arrives

2/9/19 Maple Leaf neighborhood

Snowmageddon delivered the promised several inches overnight. We woke to a thick, magical blanket and the pure silence that occurs only when it snows.

After the sun came up, I looked through every window to see what I could sketch without putting on my boots. I settled on this view from the kitchen – our neighbor’s tree and patio table and our bird feeder. Even the birds were smart enough to stay in bed. (A couple of chickadees did show up toward the end of my sketch.)

I’m very grateful that we didn’t lose power overnight as many homes in the area apparently did. I hope you’re warm and safe, wherever you are!

Vacation to (Wintry) Upstate New York

Most of my friends don't understand why I was delighted to plan a trip to Rochester and Buffalo.  But I grew up in the Buffalo area, so snow still brings that childhood delight.  So Rochester had NONE when I arrived, but a few days later, we had enough to enable me to paint this little scene:

On Monday, when I drove to Buffalo, I had plenty of snow!  It was so gorgeous!  While I waited for my brother to drive down from Toronto, I had just enough time in my "car studio" to sketch and paint this scene of a church in the suburb of West Seneca, one I passed nearly everyday of my first 18 years in this town.

P.S.  Stayed tuned for the next set of my urban sketches, which will come to you from the Gulf Coast of Florida!!

Loving that SNOW!!!

Sometimes I seem to have a lot of excuses for not getting outside to sketch, but SNOW is NOT one of them!  Growing up in Buffalo, NY, I saw my share of winter storms, so Seattle's paucity of the white stuff leaves me pining…Let there be flakes of snow, and I'm out there sketching.  Everything looks so interesting, so sketch-able!!

Yesterday I was up early, and yes! we had snow!!  Unfortunately, rain was predicted to erase all that magic by noon, so I hurried to get out there.  By 7:30 AM, I was parked at Greenlake, sketching the lake views.   The paper I used for my first sketch was not drying, so I set it aside, and drove across the street!,  parking next to the lovely wooded hillside at the NE end of Woodland Park, (sketch at left.)

I decided as long as the snow was holding, I would keep sketching, so I drove around the west side of Greenlake, and found this quaint  house begging to be sketched.  (see above)   In truth,  when snow is involved, you could practically drop me anywhere, and I would find something to paint.
All in all, it was a productive day - 3 sketches in about 4 hours!

Snow day Sketches

    

I grabbed some paper towels when I headed for the bus after my office closed today. Took advantage of riding instead of driving. The man on the left represents the Fellowship for Reconciliation and holds signs for peace and justice every Wednesday, mid-day, at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia. He was riding the bus today, apparently heading towards his usual Wednesday destination.

Downtown Marina

Bird outside kitchen window