Today I took my dog for a walk on the trail by the lake. I brought my sketchbook and a pencil along, hoping to sketch a few things along the way. The green bench was first. While the dog sniffed under a pine tree, I sketched in the shapes and foot prints around it. The sun was shining and casting a shadow, but the dog was pulling on the leash and it was hard to draw, so I didn’t. Next, around the bend, there is a retaining pond with a large concrete drain. In the summer you can stand on it and look into the pond. Today it was covered by snow and I liked the contrast of bright white, dark areas inside it, and purple shadows across the snow. I kept walking and looking for other designs. I have seen several “Thin Ice” signs, both on the shore above the water and on the ice. There is an aerator across the lake that keeps ice thin, but in some areas near the shore it is thick enough that people shovel snow to make a hockey rink. Finally, I noticed a bird house in someone’s back yard, tilted, and the roof was covered with snow, so I drew that. Having the dog along made things challenging, as she is not one to sit like a statue. She wants to sniff everything in every direction, and pulls on the leash. So I got the quick sketches in pencil, then came home and added watercolors when I had no dog pulling me. It was a beautiful cold winter walk!
Winter Walk
