#advent_challenge2020

I'm so happy that I was able to join the advent challenge again this year! This challenge is very dear to me as my watercolor journey kind of started for me with this challenge last year. 

Prompt list

Dec 1 Family
Dec 5 Mrs Claus (third painting)
Dec 9 Candy cane (second painting)
Dec 13 Magic dreams under warm blanket
Dec 17 Cozy sweater
Dec 21 Angel
Dec 25 Christmas cookies

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*Black Elo

A little illustrations series of an elephant and his adventures.

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*Snowy paths & Christmas cookies

{Music: Prelude 2 – Dustin O'Halloran}

A little movie of wintery nature walks and cookie baking.

Merry Christmas!

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*smoking chimney

One of my favorite places to make a walk in our area. I love that old isolated yellow building between the woods and a river. I have made pictures of it already at all seasons. It gives me a good feeling, same as looking at a smoking chimney! Hard to believe that it is Christmas tomorrow already! I really hope you can have a cozy time despite the circumstances we are facing right now!

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*icy flowers

Icy flowers.

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*dust of snow | part 2

Many dark days in a row again and constant temperatures around 1 degree, no snow or frost. So I look back to those pictures with an aching winter heart. Meanwhile I decorated our Christmas tree and tried to catch up rest. Everything in me longs for a deep hibernation and I know I am not alone. Many of us feel this way right now. It's just natural, but little accepted in a world that has become so unnatural over time. Let's embrace those darkest days of the year that make us realize once again how life-giving sunlight is!

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*The first Advent

{Music: Swimmer – Max Richter}

A little movie of the time around the first Advent.

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*Dust of snow

Dust of Snow

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

{Robert Frost}

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*with the starlings

Can you imagine how it must be to be part of a flock of birds,

where every movement fits and is in harmony with all others

and creates this beautiful spectacle for the eyes?

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side note: Just the moment I was writing this and looked outside my window, a huge flock of crows was crossing the gloomy sky!

*autumn garden elephant

In November I painted so many elephants!

Including this illustration series of an elephant

doing his gardening work in autumn.

I really like the moody weather in them

and how the colors turned out.

Have a nice third Advent weekend!

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*Within the storm

My heart feels so heavy right now. 

Sometimes it's hard to trust the flow of life

and take decisions.

I often take actions and doubt about them afterwards

and those doubts are driving me crazy.

While doubting about a hard decision again,

I coincidentally read the quote:

"Next time, decide to act before you think."

That somehow came in the right moment.

We are having heavy storms for five days in a row now,

the howling sound of the wind makes it hard to rest.

I'm longing for silence.

The silence inside of an ice crystal

or under a blanket of snow.

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*Christmassy watercolor update

It was about time to create some

Christmas themed illustrations and patterns!

Besides I redesigned my old paper star tutorial and made

a printable elephant paper doll

that you can download for free

to have a nice time crafting before Christmas!

{you can find the pdf downloads in the link list

on the right side of my blog} 

Have a cozy second Advent weekend!

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*Leaves are falling, winter is calling

{Music: Wolfpack – Johannes Bornlöf}

Most November days were misty and dark, but there were a few golden autumn days where the sun was shining and the leaves were dancing around happily in the wind. I drank some morning tea in the garden under the birches and just enjoyed the moment. When the first frost came, I was too busy to be able to make pictures or film it, but luckily it came back again and I was able to leave the house very early to observe the sunrise and the magic of the frosty landscape. Everything was glittering and I felt like being in a different world – it is really one of my favorite times of the year! And as a totally surprise we even had the first snow in our area, not much, just a slight white cover, but it made the best wintery feelings! I want to share some of those precious moments with you again and hope that you are enjoying them too! 

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*wild flowers in the mist

More mistiness and lots of wild flowers.

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