These are just a couple of extra, slightly larger sketches (about 8 x11 inches) which I made today sitting with my drawing board on my knee and looking out of the window. I had not really intended to keep them, thinking they would just be brushwork practice, but they have actually captured the garden as it looks today, with the bird tracks in the remaining snow, twiggy dead plant stalks and a few green leaves here and there.
The white dots on the one above are the silvery magnolia buds. The blackbirds are always hanging around outside the window hoping for more food.
The birds have regular routes, followed sometimes by the neighbouring cats.
The watercolour paper is really really cheap but dries quite quickly and holds a brush stroke edge quite well. I used just one size 8 brush with a good point. More snow is forecast for tonight before a welcome thaw!
