Camera painting: Snowscap

The bridleway in winter

Grange Farm in winter

Winter arrives

Winter returns

Winter through the kitchen window

Two days ago we woke to discover that the landscape had been transformed overnight.  Fields, trees and buildings were covered with a blanket of snow  –  the first of  the winter  –   creating  a hushed, fairyland scene.

The photographs were taken looking out through the kitchen window.

 

 

The snow on the patio furniture provides an indication of the depth of the snowfall.

 

A glimpse of Winter

 

It has been a most unusual winter so far:  lots of rain, lots of wind, a succession of damaging storms, but on Sunday morning we woke to discover  everywhere covered by a picturesque  blanket of snow. ‘ Is this the beginning of winter?’ we asked..

Jackdaws and crows retreated to the highest branches of trees and looked down in disgust.

A bemused blackbird peered over the roof top.

 

 

 

Snow abstract (1)

The snow of a few days ago was short-lived but, nevertheless, produced patterns that gave birth to a number of abstract images.

Transformation scene

Trees iced with a thin veneer of snow create a magical, fairyland scene.

Please click the image to enlarge

Two faces of winter

The pictures below are of the same tree taken on two consecutive days, yesterday and today (Friday).   Yesterday shiny patches of bark sparkled in the  brilliant winter sunshine.  Today, following an overnight fall of snow (our first this winter!) the sun still shone, though somewhat intermittently.

 

 

Patterns in the thaw

Winter is often portrayed in pictures displaying mid-distance or panoramic features  –  fields, trees, buildings coated in snow.  But  as I looked out through the kitchen window yesterday morning, my attention was drawn to the many ‘micro-landscapes’  –  mini winter scenes  –  formed by the thawing snow, and all just a few feet away.

I’ve presented a small but varied selection below.  Each of the areas photographed was less than 1 metre square.

Click the photo to enlarge.

In the first, the ice crystals glisten in the sunlight like jewels in a tiara

Sometimes there is a suggestion of frozen movement

The third presents a scene of contrasting textures and colours.

Patio gates in snow

No need to elaborate I think.  The title says all.  The snow provided the highlights.

Winter Abstracts (2)

There is something of an expletive about this pattern  –  it’s not difficult to provide a first and last letter and an appropriate number of asterisks to suit your choice!  But I’m attracted by the way the marks use the available space in, for me, a very expressive manner.

Winter Abstract 2

The Ice Skater

This image was initially an unsuccessful photo of a ‘cow parsley’ seed head protruding through the snow.  To ‘rescue’ it  I decided to remove the texture of the snow and heighten the contrast.  There was little improvement, but when I flipped it horizontally and rotated it 90 degrees anti-clockwise the eccentric ice skater emerged.  Just a bit of fun!

The Ice Skater

More through the window

 

These photos are part of the ‘As seen through the window’ project, the first selection of which were posted a few days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Andrew's - the village church, just over my garden wall

Cold comfort!

Cold comfort

 See also As seen through the window, The Thaw, Arctic in a pond,

As seen through the window

There was a further covering of snow overnight which refreshed the landscape after yesterday’s steady thaw.  The day began in bright sunshine but with temperatures low enough to discourage me from venturing out.  As a consequence the photos in this selection were all taken from the comfort of the house!

 

An irresistible opportunity

Conifer in the farm house garden

Simple but beautiful

I was attracted by the intricate mesh of young shoots contrasting with the sunlit main branches, set against the clear blue sky.

 

See also Arctic in a pond, 

 

The Thaw

In recent days we have had snow, fog, ice and now the thaw.  As the carpet of snow shrinks other elements of  beauty are displayed.  See the changed texture of the snow, the ice crystals at the edge, the patterns on the lawn as individual blades of grass reappear.

 

More wintry scenes

 

 

 

Whose prints are these? What animal has braved the snow?

 

In the bleak mid-winter

Foggy day

After the snow came the fog!  On the neighbouring farm ghostly shapes of animals and trees appeared and disappeared.

 

Foggy morning

 

 

Foggy morning 2

See also As seen through the window,  The Thaw,  Arctic in a pond,