In the deep dark winter

It's that time of year when I have to work extra hard to find the beauty of nature. The colors are muted instead of brilliant...but there are colors to be found if I stop to appreciate the shades of browns, occasional blue skies and glimpses of green in the river and hillsides.

This winter has been so mild for us in WV. Today feels like early spring instead of the deep dark winter I brace for as the seasons change. As we say, I'm not complaining! Below is a photo I took just yesterday; I love this tree in a field alongside the trail in Buckeye, WV. Not a trace of snow to be seen.

This pencil sketch is the start of the cardinal lobelia flower I photographed last summer. I've just completed the drawing of the red cardinal with a spray of lilac asters and about to add ink and, finally, color! It's harder to motivate myself in winter but not impossible. Be looking for my new blog or other posts for the finished product!