Same old - walks, birds and a sunset.

I had noticed this sign and a small parking lot, just off Hwy 6, near my place, so Rick and I decided to check it out.

 

It's a pretty woodlot

but quite a short walk. So we also walked at Hays Conservation area where we watched a huge flock of Tundra swans, flying in a vee, overhead.

So we drove down to Long Point to see if they had started to gather there. At times there are thousands and so noisy I could hear them, on the Bay, from the cottage. But there were just a few right now and there was no open water for them yet. Still 100s of ice fishing huts out on the ice.

A few days later I was at Port Rowan harbour and noticed one by the boat houses

and a few more mixed in with the ducks and Canada geese beside a small patch of open water. Probably a couple more weeks until there will be large numbers of them but always a sight worth seeing.

I'm not a fan of being outside on a cold windy night, at dusk,

but Rick was out "at the Edge" taking sunset shots

so I decided to join him.

The low angle of the light made the ground golden

and the pine cones glow.

It didn't take long to sink

and just leave an orange sky.

Then nothing

but a bit of colour on the solitary cloud.

This was the challenge for one painting class.

We were to use only a large brush and create just an impression of the still life.

Loose and impressionistic just isn't my style but the technique was very useful in terms of a painted sketch before trying for more detail. It forces you to look at the main shapes, the shadows and the highlights.

The following week was about textures. All of us struggled with the denim jacket,

but I am getting more comfortable with how to tackle a painting, where to start and how to proceed.