Old road watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Wandering Camera – Nearby Adventures

The Girl And Her Cat on the Old Road watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

The Girl and Her Cat and I had our own little adventures, right where we live.  Much to my delight, we already had a few bouts of snow this year in the mountains here in the rain-starved California.  That brought rainstorms to the lower elevations.  I promptly bundled up in my waterproof clothing and boots and headed to the park for a walk in the rain.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Ever since I was little, I have always loved playing in the rain, the more torrential the better.  The world gets quiet, and it’s mostly just the sound of the rain and me.  

There is an oak grove in the park.  Standing under that canopy, I listened to the rain sing as it danced on the leaf-covered ground below. 

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

This is normally a narrow and deep drainage gully, but to my imaginative mind, it might as well be a stream that I have to cross carefully.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I wore my big boots, so I could splash along as I continued down the rain-sodden path.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I have made up my own names for certain areas in the park.  I call this area Darcy Field, resembling a certain scene in the Pride And Prejudice movie.  Right around the corner, the path turns hard with rocks and tree roots jutting out of the ground.  That would be the Dinosaur Ridge.  I love running over those protrusions.

I really wanted to continue on with the rain pelting down on me.  It was getting dark though, so I reluctantly decided to turn back.

 

 

Rainy day walk in the park in Northern California @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

Rain droplets on these dry stems looked like little crystal flowers.   My camera has a rain jacket of its own, so, just like me, it stayed toasty dry.   I would have liked to get close-ups, but it would have been impossible to change lenses in that windswept rain.  Also, I had to bow to the failing light.  This is the best photo I could take with the lens I had at hand.  Hopefully you get an impression of what I saw there.

 

 

Adventure of the Girl and Her Cat

 

While my kitties stayed warm and toasty at home,  The Girl and Her Cat continued their adventure together in the snow.

 

Please click on the image thumbnails to see the pictures and read about their wanderings –

 

 

 

Not to worry, they are bundled up for their snow walk.  When her cat gets cold, The Girl carries him inside her coat.

 

Wandering Pages Paintings

 

I added all the paintings shared so far about their adventure from the Wandering Pages book at the above link.  I will add to that page as we continue with their adventure together.

 

 

 

Migraing Geese Northern California Nature Journal watercolour painting @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

 

I will leave you with a page from my nature journal.   The day before the rainstorm came,  my husband hurriedly called me outside to see something  he thought I would love.   We saw a flock of geese flying overhead against the backdrop of a beautiful sky that only impending rain clouds can bring.  We watched them slowly dissolve the right arm completely and then recreate the V pattern as they faded to a distant shimmer.   I have never seen anything like it before.   I didn’t take a photo.  Instead, I recreated the scene in my journal.

 

I personally hand-make the journals in my studio.   You can purchase the journals here in my shop.   I have journals for both artists and non-artists.

 

Let me know which photo and/or paintings of our adventures you liked.  The Girl and her Cat, and I would love to know.

 

 

Since next week is a holiday week here in the US, I decided to move Wandering Camera one week up. 

 

Wandering Camera art and photo linky party @ InkTorrents.com by Soma Acharya

 

Wandering Camera is a monthly event that runs on the last Thursday of every month.  If you follow me via email, you will get a reminder.

All photo and art/creative-themed posts are welcome.  You can continue to link up multiple posts.

Please add the badge or a text link back to this site on your blog, or on each post that you link up.  I look forward to seeing your photos and reading about them.

Have fun!!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.  Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

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Nature Journaling

Northern California Wildflowers in Napa @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

Ever since I moved to California, my yearning to be close to nature has grown immensely.  Even when we lived in metropolitan Los Angeles, I always found a way to be close to nature.  My day usually starts with spending some time with the plants.  I love to photograph the local parks just as much as I love to photograph the grand scenes of the California landscapes.

 

Please Click on the image thumbnails to see the photos and read the captions.

 

 

While I tend to the garden, I come across beautifully mottled leaves, an occasional green acorn, a knobbly branch, or even a piece of old rosewood.  Since I always have a camera on me, it’s easy to pause from garden work for a few photos.  I suppose I have always used photography to record the little things around me.

 

 

Nature Journal handbound watercolor book @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

I have a dedicated Canson book that I use for painting flowers and leaves and such,  but it’s too large to carry around all the time. 

That changed when I started making my own books.   Of the two books I made for nature journalling, I am keeping one for myself.  I am giving the other one away along with the little artist colour paint kit ( valued at $45- ) as a thank you.

 

 

Nature Journal handbound watercolor book @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

A little bit about my books – I am more than a little picky about paper.  I use only very high quality artist-grade paper for my watercolour books.  I hand stitch them the traditional way with special thread, then additionally use glue and other methods to secure the spine.  The end papers are made with card stock and the book is finished by encasing it in a cover made with high quality book cloth.

 

The Giveaway has now ended.

 

 

 

Northern California wildflowers at local park in Napa @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

 

I am thinking about taking my book to the parks around here.  They are full of trees and during the months of March and April, the whole place is dotted with beautiful wild flowers.  Soon afterwards, everything turns into straw from the harsh California summer, but for those few weeks, it is just wonderful to get close to the ground and find these little gems even if it means getting mud and dirt all over my clothes.

 

 

I have gotten requests for adding photo prints to my shop.   I couldn’t think of a better way to start than by adding a set of sweet little wild flower photos that I have taken around here.

 

Northern California Wildflower Shooting Stars @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Purchase Dancing Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars happily dancing with each other

 

 

Northern California Wildflower Sweet Pea @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Purchase Wild Sweet Pea

Little wild sweet pea flowers saying hello

 

 

Northern California Wildflower Spring Vetch @ InkTorrents.com by Soma

Purchase Butterfly Flower Vetch

The Common Vetch posing as a butterfly

 

I hope you like this set.   I print them on high quality photo paper with archival ink.  They can also be used as cards,  framed as-is in a 5″ x 7″ frame, or displayed on a small table easel.   You can find these northern California wildflower photos here in my shop.  Let me know which one is your favourite.

 

Good luck to each one of you for the giveaway.  My heartfelt thanks for visiting me and leaving such wonderful, encouraging words, and also for continuing to purchase from my shop. Each sale is very special to me because it enables me to make donations to my favourite shelters and humane societies. 

 

 

 

Don’t forget,  Wandering Camera is at the end of the month, 26th of August.  An Art & Photography linky party!

Until then,
-Soma

 

I am linking up with the linky parties on my Events And Links page.   Please pay a visit to some of them.

 

 

 

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