*sweet squirrels

Pictures from my December baking session.

Oh, it has been so long since my last blog entry! Time is flying so fast, January is nearly over! We are doing some renovation work on the house that we have postponed for many years now and this makes everything a bit chaotic, but it just has to be done at some point and we thought it is the right time now. I had hardly any time to paint, but hopefully this will change again and I also want to update my little Etsy shop again and have to do some unpleasant paper work. 

Pheasant "Rudi" has started to visit me again after a longer break and we are having a flock of wild doves that is resting daily on a plum tree very near to our home which makes me smile, every time I walk by. I can't wait to see the first spring flowers, but usually they are showing up quite late in our area. Have a nice day + take care!

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*blessings

Things that made me happy lately:

* big soft snowflakes

* feeding birds

* seeing flying swans!

* starting to read a new book

* homemade Sauerkraut

* black tea with milk

* packing orders

* making a stranger happy

* a beautiful song {Home by Matteo de Grandis}

* silence

What about you?

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*January days

How has your first week of 2021 been so far?

We had some snow and took the opportunity to make some nice winter walks again. I started to paint a bit again, but am feeling rusty after the break. I still feel like I should take it slower. No energy burst yet, but we had a little bit of sunshine which immediately made the birds sing. Speaking of birds, the birds have accepted my new bird feeder finally and are using it every day now. I love to observe them and maybe I can film them a little for my next movie.

Take care + until soon again!

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*A new year!

Happy New Year!

I hope you were able to celebrate it in a good way! We had a really nice dinner and made a little walk outside at midnight to watch the fireworks. The clearness of the sky made millions of stars visible and everything was glittering from the frost. In the morning all was enveloped in a thick white blanket of mist, similar like in those pictures, but it was even frostier. We made another nature walk to free our minds and welcome the coming year. I'm still thinking about a resolution for 2021, but I am not sure yet what to pick! My 2020 resolution was all about the theme "trust" and I can say I got challenged a lot, but did not forget about my resolution and was allowed to experience once again the protecting hand of God. A new year is like a new start for me and I welcome beginnings and I'm excited also to start a new blog year with you! Let's collect lots of joyful little moments again this year and let us try to find peace with feeling uncertain about the future. Thank you for still being here with me sometimes and see you soon again!

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#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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*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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*silver lining

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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*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!