Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all fellow bloggers and artists.

May it be happy and healthy.

Bleaberry Fell Boxing Day walk with Elvis

On Boxing Day what better way that spending the day up on a fell, walking off that Christmas Lunch! With left over sandwiches Christmas Cake and a warm flask it's one of those ritual things we try and do. Bleaberry Fell above Walla Crag was perfect with not many crowds and the boggy terrain hard with Ice it made a grand walk to blow the cobwebs away. And it certainly was chilly on the top.

Leading the way to Towards Bleaberry Fell, There is a certain Elvis record that you have to sing when walking to the top!! Just change the Blea for a Blue and the fell for a hill!!

Looking down onto a frozen Derwentwater, the grey is ice, unbelievable.

A close shot if you zoom in you can see people quite clearly in the near middle of the Lake!

It's going to have to freeze for a lot longer to get me anywhere near there!

My Exhibition starts tomorrow at Moot Hall, Keswick for three days come along and say hello and have a look at some of my new winter paintings.

An Earthquake in Keswick

A Herdwick looking festive.

What a week, with Winter conditions going awall and temperatures down to -14 in Keswick. Walked to the corner shop last night in freezing condition's, with not a soul about, I did think the sky looked a bit strange with a really yellow haze in the black sky. And thought something is going to happen! A snow furry perhaps. Just before 11pm I heard a rumble and felt a slight movement, but didn't think too much!! So I experienced an earth quake of 3.5 in Keswick, I was right it was a strange sky.

I'd just like to wish all my fellow bloggers and those of you who have read my blog and left some fantastic comments a Fantastic Festive time.

Christmas lunch at Lodore Falls Hotel

Saw this little Red Squirrel while walking in Big Woods alongside Derwentwater. We were heading towards Lodore Hotel, situated at the end of the Lake, for a Christmas lunch treat. Sitting in the warm lounge  surrounded by wonderful Christmas trees and gazing out over the lake, I couldn't help but think about the wonderful painting locations close to this lovely hotel, some within walking distance and others a beautiful trip on the Launch down to the other side of the Lake.

Just some of the Christmas trees at Lodore Falls Hotel

Glass reflections on Derwentwater, not a breath of wind perfect walking conditions and with not many tourists around the Lake is all yours.

http://www.lakelandartcourses.co.uk/

Derwentwater Magic

Derwentwater Original Watercolour by Jane Ward

I've been painting this on and off for 2 weeks, and it's been one of those paintings that's like a good novel,  you don't want it to end and interesting throughout. I can't state enough how important it is for Me, to be inspired to paint and sketching this outdoors in the cold really helped. In that brief time your looking at the world around you, and concentrating on nothing else. It is pure magical. So it was a pleasure to frame and sign this special painting this morning.

Winter Art Exhibition at Moot Hall Keswick

Skiddaw in Winter

Watercolour by Jane Ward

Well all the snow has gone, just a few slithers left on some of the tops and in a few crevices. But before it disappeared so fast. I started painting this on Wednesday with  the Keswick Monthly class. Here's the ingredients and method.

Permanent Rose, Winsor Blue, Burnt Sienna and a touch of Naples Yellow.

Method

1. One week of gazing at Skiddaw, watching the snow laying thick on the fell sides.

2. One week of walking to the Lake to see the freezing conditions.

3. A walk to an enthusiastic art class in -8 degrees.

Must mention that I've my Winter Exhibition coming up at

Moot Hall, Keswick

On Tuesday 28th Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th December

For more information

email lakelandart@hotmail.co.uk

Slippery Soul's on Derwentwater

-7 walking through the park to my art class this morning, but a lovely welcome a hot coffee and  mince pies, well it is nearly Christmas!

 After taking some new paintings round to Viridian Gallery for the Winter exhibition which starts on Friday, we had time for a quick walk to Portinscale. I'm so inspired by the wonderful colours and light I feel everywhere I turn it takes by breath away.

I wondered where the Geese and ducks were with the Lake nearly frozen, and with loud squawking, hooting and quacking here they are.

' these wretched soles have no grip' said Mrs Canadian Goose slipping and sliding on the ice

 ' I told you when you bought those, you'd slip on your bum' said Mr Canadian Goose watching and waiting for him to be right!

The most beautiful day in Keswick

Today was the most beautiful day down at the Lake, it's been amazing going down every day for the past 10 days. But new snow, blue skies and a nearly frozen lake was totally magical. No school today, so lots of sledging on crow park. Here is the route that's been broken between the ice for the Island.

Can it get any better?

These are paw steps, I think on Derwentwater 

Famous Friars Crag

I've my monthly Keswick art group tomorrow and think we shall be painting snow, and this watercolour painting of Skiddaw could be the one. It could be the first class I've gone to in Ice Crampons!

The Frozen Lakes

Drove down to Ambleside today, it's the furthest we've been in the last week. Left Keswick at a barmy 0 degrees down to -4 in Grasmere and Ambleside and it was - 12 last night in Keswick! This is one of my painting locations on a Grasmere course, no painting today due to frozen Lakes at Rydal Water and Grasmere.

It looked fantastic, but very very cold.

Towards Helvellyn from Thirlmere

Back to Keswick and down to frozen Derwentwater, en route to the post office to send  a couple of Calendars to sunnier and warmer climes in Australia! I've only 12 Calendars left if anyone would like one, just email me at lakelandart@hotmail.co.uk

More snow forecast tonight.

The sun setting over Castlerigg Stone Circle

Winter Sunshine over Derwentwater

The old farmer was right we had lots of snow last night

Towards Clough head over 2 foot of snow in places

A happy face, due to beautiful winter conditions.

Castlerigg Stone Circle

The Sun setting over the stones

Warm winter coats, but the little Herdwick is following the new fashionable Brown look.

The latest must have gadget in Keswick

Derwentwater this morning, unbelievably cold and so quiet and the freeze is on!

Been a bought the latest fashion accessory in Keswick, 'walking crampons' these wrap around steel studs should stop me slipping on the ice and enable me access more areas! These seagulls could do with a pair

Only saw two people down at the lake Jason the photographer, we had a good old chat about the light on the fells, these posts and it been blimming freezing, -7. Then saw 'Dennis' a keswick local farmer who looked doubtfully down at my new walking attire and said ' Are they good' I replied looking down at his green wellies 'Hey they stop my skidding' He then looked up at the sky and said 'your going to need skis not them things, it's going to snow' and off he went. 

It's not totally frozen yet! Love the light on these ducks

Now this photo I recon shows how cold it was, and also I think the snow is coming.

 Here's a link to the  Kahtoola Micro Spikes

                                  http://www.georgefisheronline.co.uk/acatalog/Snow___Ice.html

The big freeze on Derwentwater

Love this little Snowman, wonder if he's dreaming of more snow!

Managed a quick sketch of this lovely view down Derwentwater, a bit chilly but without the wind it was quite fine! It was so peaceful with only the ducks and Geese making odd little quacks. I find it does help with ideas for paintings, even a 10 minute sketch. 

This was my wild mad acrylic painting from yesterday, not sure in which direction it's going!

Latest photo's on Derwentwater Freezing conditions 12 noon today and tonight Mr Met thinks we could get -10 degrees in Keswick 

It's been a pretty grey day again, but I did catch this lovely blue, now what shade is it?

Watercolour course for the snow bound

Innominate Tarn from Gable

Acrylic by Jane Ward

I think alot of people have been snow bound today or is it house bound! I was already for an outdoor painting/ sketching experience, but grey clouds full of snow kept looming and proved they were indeed full of that ingredient that has brought Britain to a near stand still. So instead I painted inside warm and toasty, with the radio on, but the painting of Derwentwater looks pretty wild!! I'll show you it tomorrow. Maybe! But on another note my 'Online students' have certainly been enjoying painting, it's an ideal course when you can't go out and just spend the day painting happily the only care been if the picture goes accordingly to plan.

See http://www.watercolourcourse.co.uk/ for many super watercolour snow scenes.