New Blog – Page 16 – Karen Hilliard Art

Winter

“All weather is good weather,” is a phrase we use in our household. No matter the circumstances, we try to be outside. Luckily, we do not have hurricanes or tornadoes in the desert here, or severe blizzards. All of this being said, the rain, snow, sleet, hail, heat, etc. keeps us on our toes and we try to keep a positive mindset. I recently posted a question on Facebook asking what season was a person’s favorite and why. The responses received were awesome. One person in particular wrote, all, for their individual reasons. I am going to take the next four posts and write about each season and what I like about them because I was inspired by this person’s comment.

Soulful Wanderer• Watercolor Portrait • Karen Hilliard Art — Hiking with our dog in the winter snow.

Let’s start with winter because January starts the year off. I love the winter and the cooler temperatures. Snow is beautiful, before it gets brown and mushy. The white calm of a winter morning when no one is out, and the fresh powder rests on the ground in the quiet dawn, is an amazing sight. I love the feeling of winter and the chill on my face, down my esophagus as I breathe in, and the midst out of my mouth as I exhale. A warm cup of cocoa in hand and I am the happiest of people. One of my favorite things to do is knit and this makes the colder months quite enjoyable for me. I love handmade gifts and making gifts for others. Sweaters, hats, scarves, and mittens, etc. are all items filling up our closet at home. Luckily, because we go outside often, we are able to get a good use out of these treasures.

CLICK HERE FOR THE ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR-> “SLED DOG”

Another reason I and my husband love winter is for the activities in the outdoors. We love snowshoeing through the woods for hours on end discussing everything we see and just relaxing. I know for many this is strange, but we also love to shovel snow! It is an amazing workout and very calming. I also love watching winter sports like hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, skiing etc. I had the pleasure of dogsledding in Alaska some years ago and it was glorious. Being out in the wilderness running and riding with dogs, and watching their excitement was awesome. I loved looking at the trees covered in a magical white dusting and the sunlight coming through the pine needles. This thought leads me to Christmas which is my most loved holiday. All my happiest memories are tied into this time of year. You can read about some of the reasons in my previous blog titled Christmas Ornaments. Please go ahead and leave your favorite weather or season in the comments below. I would love to keep this conversation going! Have a happy Monday and look for Spring on Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Most of my inspiration for my paintings comes from hiking, climbing, and camping adventures. Red Rock Canyon is a place that holds a special spot in my heart. My husband and I go hiking in this area frequently. We love the sandstone for its rich orange, yellow, red, blue, and purple hues. Each rock face takes us on a trip into our imaginations and we have endless conversations about what we notice. The springs that run through the valley into the wash are breathtaking and when the river runs from the mountain run off it is magical. We see spadefoot toads in their tadpole state all the way to their evolution into mature toads. Beautiful Oak and Pinion trees surround us with their jovial leaves in the Springtime and send us into a colorful wonderland in the Fall.

Click Here to see Reels (Videos) on Instagram of the Painting Process!

On a recent exploration we happened upon a wondrous tree shedding its leaves into the wash. The water had since dried up and the rocks were cool from the morning air. A hint of blue color adorned the facade of these rocks in the early light. The leaves were a gorgeous combination of yellow, brown, orange, red, and many variations of these colors. I took many photographs and decided I would paint these images upon arriving at home. We were on a long hike that day and just wanted to keep moving forward to see what else we could find. I was very pleased with the angles I took and confident the photos would turn out well enough to not need to sketch as well. Out of the several photographs taken, I came up with a menagerie of images to use.

The hike through the canyon was amazing and cold. We loved wearing hats and jackets especially after surviving the hot Summer months here in the desert. We brought hot chocolates with us to enjoy and our sweet pup loved romping about. Always, always, always clean up after your pets. PLEASE! The only way to be able to have our furry friends on these hiking experiences is if we all Leave No Trace behind. That side note being mentioned, the dog had a glorious time. I got many awesome pictures of him as well which I will share in future blogs. I hope you all enjoyed walking around the canyon with me and I will be writing more about this place and sharing which hikes we love. I can mention trailheads as well if you would like. Leave me a comment about anything that interests you or a place in Red Rock Canyon you also love.

Thank you for reading! Have a safe and happy weekend friends.

-Karen Hilliard