Deer at Dusk

Deer in the Backyard

We were visited by several deer again this afternoon, only this time they were in back of the house.

Badlands Slope

“Badlands Slope”            Pastel Pencil

Continued work on my pastel pencil drawing of a slope in the Badlands, just off East River Road. I love the strong diagonal lines of the hill and the orange colors in the grass. I was particulary interested in the deep shadow of the slope in the middle of this composition.

Deer at Day’s End

Deer in the Front Yard

Not long after I’d come back in from shooting skies and snow, four deer appeared in the front yard, nibbling here and there in the grass, and taking a sip or two from the bird bath. A little later, the sky was filled with gorgeous pink clouds and a deep red sunset. I decided to just observe the beauty from the house, so I wouldn’t disturb the deer or cause them to run across the highway. A great way to end the day!

Sky and Snow

Yesterday afternoon I headed north of Bowman on the Farm-to-Market Road to photograph skies over snowy fields. It was around 57 degrees, which is downright pleasant for this time of year.

Much of the snow had melted, but there were enough patches of it here and there to add a nice counterpoint to the dramatic white clouds overhead.

It’s fun to play around with the curves of hills and snowbanks, and just like flowers and rivers, a slight change in the camera position yields very different results.

The sky was alive with clouds, and it was a dynamic background for the hills of November.

The main roads were in good shape, but some of the side roads were very, very muddy. I was glad to have all the scenery I needed alongside the drier, smoother routes.

It was just a short drive, not far from town, but it was very refreshing to be out among the clouds, hills, sunshine and snow.

Clouds of November

Here are some more clouds for my November portfolio, taken this morning from the backyard.

Snow Studies

Pine Cone in the Snow

Fresh snow has made the surfaces of the snowdrifts more appealing, so I went out this morning to have a look. Some pine cones had fallen from the trees, and a rabbit had made its way across the white powdery landscape.

Rabbit Tracks

Prairie Walker Tracks

While looking for more tracks in the snow, I noticed that I was leaving some pretty crisp prints myself. It’s a beautiful, calm, sunny day here, and we may reach the middle 50’s for temperature. That will definitely change the way things look, and leave a little less snow for animal trails.

Back to the Drawing Board

Badlands Slope

It was another gray day with a few snow flakes falling gently through the air, which meant it was a good time to get back to my landscape drawings. I am using pastel pencils for this Badlands drawing, and I am really enjoying the process.

Received the book Harvest of Light by Robert Marchessault today. It’s a wonderful little book of his tree paintings, made with Blurb.com, a website that publishes books for individuals. I was very impressed with the quality of this book, and think it’s definitely something worth trying.  The digital age has ushered in opportunities that were not even imaginable a decade or two ago.

Gray Day

View from the Dining Room Window

The snow has been melting, and the sky is gray, a great day to get some things done around the house. I’ve been catching up on some cleaning and reorganizing chores while there is nothing too tempting to go out and photograph. Yesterday I enjoyed a delicious early Thanksgiving meal with friends and neighbors here in Bowman. I’ve ordered a book from Blurb.com that was made by an artist who paints wonderful landscapes of trees. I’ve been giving more thought to publishing my own book, and am interested to see what has been done by fellow artists. When I finish cleaning my office, I think I will get back to my studio and resume work on pastel drawings.

The Prairie Walker’s Office

Cottontail

There is a big melt going on, here in Bowman, one week after our blizzard blew into town. I spotted this chubby little cottontail rabbit taking a break right outside the dining room window just a little while ago. He probably enjoys having a bit more camouflage, now that the snow has receded here and there in the winter wonderland.

November Frost, Part III

Frost in the Backyard

On Monday, we had another frosty day, but with an overcast sky. Once again, it was time to go out and gather in the beauty while I could.

View from the Dining Room Window

Sod House at Pioneer Trails Regional Museum

I took a couple of shots of the backyard, then returned to Pioneer Trails Regional Museum for further frost studies. What I’d hoped to get were photos taken inside the sod house, of frost on the window panes. It turned out that there was no frost at all on the windows, but there was some on the grass hanging from the strips of sod.

East Side of the Sod House

Buffaloberry Bushes at Corner of Museum

Stiff Sunflowers

Silver Sagebrush

Little Bluestem Grass

Switchgrass

Closer View of Little Bluestem

Chokecherry Branches

It’s funny how different things seem to catch your eye from one day to the next. I didn’t even notice these chokecherry branches on Sunday. Perhaps they were coated with snow then, and didn’t stand out from the background. Or maybe the soft lighting brought out the best in these scenes on the overcast Monday. That’s one of the great joys of nature photography, seeing anew each time you venture out with camera in hand.

Alkali Sacaton Grass

Rabbitbrush

Well, that wraps up this part of my winter portfolio, which was provided by our early November blizzard. I would have never dreamed there would be so much to photograph at this time of year!