Colour Play

Stone House Painting With Inktense Pencils | Whims And Fancies

 

During one rainy weekend in March, I started painting this old stone building on a meadow.  I may have unintentionally echoed the grey sky outside with my newly-acquired Sennelier paint.  The tiniest little dab of paint flowed effortlessly though the water.  Everything else was painted with Derwent Inktense pencils.  I was trying out those pencils on different kinds of paper.  They seem to work best on smooth surfaces.  So hot press watercolour paper or Gesso-ed paper works really well.  They do not spread very well on cheaper paper or even good cold-press watercolour paper.

 

One Monthly Goal LinkUp 2016 | Whims And Fancies

Since I have been in the mood for playing with colours recently, I am joining the One Monthly Goal link-up this month in an attempt to revisit one of my earlier projects in a different colourway.

 

Purple Star Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

My original plan was to make a very different version of this Morning Star quilt as a wall hanging.  Since my kitty fell ill before I got to it, I made this purple mini for him back in early 2014.

 

Star Quilt Pattern | Whims And Fancies

I would like to work on this gradient quilt in April.

 

Fabrics For Gradient Quilt | Whims And Fancies

I don’t even have to purchase any of the fabrics needed for this one.  I just can’t decided which white I want to use, I am tending toward the one on the left.

 

It was dry here last weekend after a long time, and we took care of some much-overdue yard work.  Since we moved into our house two years ago, we have been gradually updating the interior while just maintaining the lawn and a few plants.  This year, finally, I am going to start planning the garden.  I want to focus on mostly local, draught-resistant flowers.  To educate myself, I am planning on attending a wildflower festival in two weeks.  Until then, I am getting my inspiration from nature.  I would like to leave you with a few more wildflower photos.

 

Wildflowers Of Napa | Whims And Fancies

 

Wildflowers Of Napa | Whims And Fancies

 

See you next Thursday, April 7th, for Wandering Camera.

Camera And Photography Linky Party | Whims And FanciesWandering Camera

-Soma

 

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Windy March Days

Cable Pullover | Whims And Fancies

 

I find March to be a very fickle month.  In this part of the world, poor thing just can’t make up its mind about the weather.  There were consecutive days of blustery wind and pouring rain.  Then the sun broke through the clouds, touching everything with the warm glow that can only be seen after a clearing storm.  In the meantime, the wildflowers have been taking full advantage of the rain and blossoming everywhere, free and playful in the wind, beckoning me outdoors.

After sunset, as it gets colder, I reach for those knitting needles.  I only knit a little everyday, so my projects take awhile to finish.  I have made good progress on my husband’s pullover.  I restarted those mitts, I like how the current pattern displays this busy variegated yarn.

 

 

Yorkshire Sky Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

Recently I shopped a little for next winter.  Completely swayed by the name Yorkshire Skies, I got this beautiful yarn.  It has the shades of soft pastel aqua, with a hint of faded purple and a light steel grey.  I already know the set of mitts and hat I will be making with this one.

 

 

Madeline Tosh Sample Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I adore these tiny samples of yarn.  I got 240 yards total to make a pair of mitts with them.  It will be my first multi-yarn knit with the colours of dahlia purple, cardinal red, parchment, light sugar plum and log cabin brown.  I wish I had a tiny basket to put these in!

 

 

Malabrigo Plomo Yarn | Whims And Fancies

 

 

I am venturing into the grown-up knitting world with this one.  I got a whole set of plum yarn skeins to make a cable pullover for my husband per his request.  I had fun shopping for the yarn and the pattern.

 

 

Northern California Wildflowers - Wild Radish, Butterweed, Buttercup, Spring Vetch | Whims And Fancies

1.  Pink Wild Radish  2.  California butterweed  3. Buttercup  4. Spring Vetch (my favourite)

 

It is nice to have those warm woollies to don since we have been putting our hiking boots on and heading out right after work. Rain or shine.  I am learning to take close-up photos of wildflowers.  The afternoons have been extremely windy, making it very hard to get good portraits of the flowers.  They are also very small, sometimes no more than a few millimetres.  It takes a long time and a lot of patience, along with crouching in odd positions, waiting for the wind to die down a little.

 

 

Northern California Wildflower Star Lily, Douglas Iris, Redwood Violet, Wild Radish | Whims And Fancies

1.  Star Lily or Death Camas ( beautiful but extremely poisonous )

2.  Douglas Iris  3. Redwood Violet  4. White Wild Radish

 

One of the trails we go to is also a dog park.  The dogs see me crouching at their level and they come by to play with me, running around me while trampling the flowers.  Their joy is so infectious that I can’t help but laugh out loud and play along with them.  Once they move on, I find a different set of flowers and start the process all over again.  It is a lot of fun, you have to take my word for it.

 

 

Northern California Wildflowers | Whims And Fancies

Walking in the woods

 

If you don’t see me here too often, you know where I will be,  at least as long as the wildflowers are on display!

 

 

Camera And Photography Linky Party | Whims And FanciesWandering Camera

I hope to see a few photos of spring in your part of the world on next month’s Wandering Camera link-up.

Happy Spring,
-Soma

 

 

 

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