Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

... nature walk: pescadero, california

This week's lovely nature walk comes to us from Pescadero, California. There Annie and her family explored Gazos Creek State Beach and enjoyed the sand, birds and brilliance of the landscape.  Thank you annie for sharing such a great trip!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Annie for sharing!

P.S. Don't forget about our current book giveaway: The Story of Art!

*Last time in Nature Walks: North Central, Maryland

... snowball watercolors

There's been a lot of this lately.  Gray, snowy days that drift into one another.  Days where winter seems as if it has come to stay... perhaps forever.

But soon enough (even if my chilly toes don't think so), it will be gone.  The snow will melt and this beautiful, crystalline landscape will disappear with not so much as a single snowflake left behind. 

Unless there was some way to preserve it...

... to take today's winter magic...

... and let it melt...

... into a permanent memory for tomorrow.

 

Winter Snowball Watercolor Paintings:

Using concentrated watercolors (food color in water could work as well), pour colors, separately, into a fresh snowbank.  Then scoop up the colored snow and form into a snowball.

Place colored snowballs on dry watercolor paper and allow to melt, and then dry undisturbed.  You can put multiple colors on one sheet or you can place a single snowball on a sheet-like the images above, or you could even place them on a really long sheet of paper together (which could be quite nice).  Drying time will vary depending on how large your snowballs are, but can take up to a day or so in some conditions, so it's best to leave them in a place where they won't be in the way of other activities.

Once the paintings are dry, hang them up on a wall, frame them together in groups or put them in a scrapbook, this way your snowball will last forever.

 

Happy Friday!

~ Sarah

P.S. Don't forget about our current book giveaway: The Story of Art!

*Last time in Crafts and Activities: A Winter Home for Birds

... tell me a story: the story of art

Few books have influenced artists, art historians, art patrons and non-artists alike more than this wonderful and witty story as told by the equally poignant author, E.H. Gombrich...

The Story of Art is just that, a beautiful story. Told in an effortless and personal tone, Gombrich creates a sense of accessibility and ease often lacking in books on art, as if he was conversing with a friend, not educating the masses...

.. from candid conversations about the work of Raphael...

... to the light of William Turner...

... the incredible detail of Albrecht Dürer...

... Degas' graceful ballerinas...  

... and the free-form color of Wassily Kandinsky; by the end you feel as though you know each artist personally.

It is rare that a book charged with such an undertaking as telling the story of art could be so easy to read and understand, and yet it is. This truly is a book that, as artist Bridget Riley put it, is "written with love and scholarship, clarity and insight."  And one I have yet to be able to put down!

It will be quite hard to part with this one...

For a chance to win a copy of this lovely book, simply leave a comment on this post by Wednesday February 2nd. The winner will be chosen by random number and announced Thursday February 3rd.

Good Luck!

And the winner is Jayne who said:

"This looks like such a lovely book. I would treasure this one!"

Thanks so much for participating everyone!

~Jordan

*Last time in Books and Stories: What You Don't See

...barn stories: snow tracks

I must admit I have more fun when it snows looking for animal tracks, it is the one way I can tell were they all go! 

Even more importantly, the tracks let me know who has come for a visit, and just how close they came to the house or barn...

 The other morning I opened the front door to find a dusting of crystalline snow glistening with a clear blue sky above. Then I looked below and to my surprise and  glee there were tracks everywhere! Wild Hare! Immediately the child in me (which has never left), saw a story unfolding before my eyes. Tracks were crossing the front porch, meeting in groups, resting at times against the stone pillars to block the wind and snow. Tracks went in and out of the garden, I imagined they were looking for a bit to eat...

There where even tracks crossing the door mat, I wondered could they hear what was going on inside, did they pause and listen, I would have.... 

Then quietly as they had come, the tracks disappeared as they went down the garden path...

As the story unfolded in my mind I noticed there was not a wild hare in sight. They must have all gone down their holes to get warm after a long night of exploring in the moonlight (it was a full moon that night).

~Deb

*Last time in Barn Stories: In the Morning

...knowing green: shades of winter

Where I live winter can be a pristine landscape covered in beautiful white snow, or it can be a bit dreary and brown. This winter especially, has been the latter. Which is exactly why I went looking for color...

... I found golden grasses reflecting the sun... 

... green pine needles... 

 ... gold and brown aspen leaves contrasting with the dark, rich dirt...

... and one very, very red bush!

Such a rainbow or color in a dark and dreary world... what colors stand out in your winter landscape?

~Jordan

*Last time in Nature: Macro Micro