Yesterday It Melted

Today it was cold and windy. The birdbath was icy and the birds stayed home. I don't blame them. I went out to check what's getting ready to grow and I got very cold in just a few minutes. Ooh, that wind was sharp.

And in the afternoon it started snowing and laid an inch of the white stuff over the just revealed grass and pavements. But it won't stay long because it's supposed to get up to 48 tomorrow and 52 on Tuesday. At least that's what they're saying now. Naturally that could change. Or they could be wrong. Or both.

Today's Daily Art prompt said to draw a scene along the river painted on the page. I saw some drawings by an illustrator I've taken an online course from and liked the way they looked so I tried my best to replicate them or at least the style of them. Sometimes I think this looks like mountains. Other times I think this looks like pyramids. I wish I'd have thought of the pyramids when I was drawing them so I could have made a palm tree instead of the leafy tree that I did. Ah well, maybe another time.

I pulled out Free-Spirited Watercolor to paint the next exercise. She called it Ikat which I thought was a type of rug or fabric but maybe not. Anyway this was an interesting exercise in color blending. I chose three colors that I like and blended them together--red, gold, and yellow--in the pattern she described. I like it. I like the way the colors blend and I like the shadows on the left side of the diamonds. I may try this one again with more contrasting colors.

The most enthusiastic flower I found outside today was this daffodil that's tucked itself behind a planter, drawn a leaf over its head, and is opening ahead of all of the others. A couple others are showing a little bright yellow but nothing like this trend setter.

I got brave this evening and tried drawing DD for my Gratitude Journal page and it worked out. This actually looks a little like her. A cartoon version of her but still it's better than I'd hoped. I am also grateful for my portable dishwasher. I love that I can hide a week's worth of dirty dishes in it and when I run it all of the dishes are clean and I didn't have to wash them by hand. Ain't technology grand?

I was even happier to find that there was enough leftover cheese soup for me to finish it for supper tonight. Ah, there's nothing like a bowl of soup on a dreary, snowy day, especially when it reminds you of your DD.

I worked through part of the manuscript again today. I'm getting better about putting in little hints of the bigger problems that Rose is having. Right now I'm looking for a place to tuck in a confrontation with the neighboring restaurant owner who has taken to snubbing Rose when she calls a greeting. I went back to an earlier chapter and started working my way through again. I got back to the meeting with Henry at the hardware store before my eyesight gave out and hunger drove me to the kitchen for my supper. I'll work on it more again tomorrow.

--Barbara