Bear Peak

Once again we woke up and there was snow on the ground. I can usually see this mountain, Bear Peak, from my living room window, but today it was covered by clouds. But in Colorado, the weather changes constantly. The mountains reappeared in the afternoon and now the sun is shining and the sky is blue. This painting is a plein aire sketch painted in oil. Most of my other small sketches are watercolor.

Valley of the Gods II—A Different View

Here is a different view of the Valley of the Gods which is located near Mexican Hat in Utah. We first visited Mexican Hat many years ago. Lyle and I had spent four days backpacking in Grand Gulch. Mexican Hat was our first experience back in civilization after four days in the back country and there was not a lot of civilization. I remember driving past the Valley of the Gods pretty quickly because we were hungry, ready for real food after eating freeze-dried food for four days. It was great being back in Mexican Hat and remembering our earlier visit. It was especially wonderful to spend time in the Valley of the Gods.

Small Paintings

Many of the images that you see in my blog are small paintings, about 5" X 7". They do not appear on my website because I don't have room for all of them. They are for sale, so please contact me if you are interested in purchasing them. They come matted, but not framed. You can view my larger paintings on my website: www.joanwolbier.com.

Sandhill Crane Portrait

Well, it is back to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to do some more drawing. This is a portrait of a Sandhill Crane that I did last week. I am working on several large drawings of cranes. They are starting to migrate through here.

Valley of the Gods

The Valley of the Gods is in Utah near Mexican Hat. We were there in the summer of 2006. It looks a lot like Monument Valley, but there is nobody there. We saw one other car the whole evening and the next morning that we spent there. I did several sketches and Lyle took many photos.

Spring Will Come

Well, they are predicting snow here in Boulder, Colorado. My friend, Linda, who lives back east just sent me an email talking about the magnolia tree outside of her window. The magnolia is blooming. This is an old painting of mine of a magnolia blossom and I am sending this out to everyone who is tired of winter and ready for spring.

Returning Home

We tried to ski in the morning, but it was all too icy or not icy enough. So we headed back home to Boulder. The weather had changed in the mountains and had clouded over. The weather on the other side of the mountains was very warm and sunny. I started thinking about the coming spring and summer. During the summer we can see major storms passing through the plains.

Sunset

We skied a lot yesterday. The snow was perfect. In the evening we went into Rocky Mountain National Park to watch the sunset. The views were beautiful, but there was no sunset color like you see in this painting. This painting was done at Mesa Verde. We went for an evening hike and saw this spectacular view to the west.

View from the Pass

This view is of the mountain range to the east after we crossed over Berthoud Pass. The weather on the other side of the pass was very different from what we left in Boulder. It was warm and sunny, but as we crossed the pass the temperature dropped and we were back in the middle of winter. It is hard to believe that last week was the first day of spring, When we woke up this morning in Grand Lake it was 0 degrees.

Bosque del Apache

During the Thanksgiving break, we went to Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge to see the Sandhill Cranes. They migrate through Colorado and spend the winter at Bosque del Apache in New Mexico. Cranes are now migrating back north through the San Luis Valley in Colorado.

Sandhill Crane in Color

Back to the museum today to draw. It was so crowded that I hid out with the Sandhill Cranes. I spent an hour sketching this bird again. It is so nice to feel comfortable drawing the cranes. I could never have completed a drawing like this so quickly six months ago.

I am having so much fun with these small paintings. I love painting large pieces, but they take so much time and energy. These small pieces are quick and small, but they still have impact. They help me work out composition and color. Tomorrow I go back to the museum and hopefully I will finish another animal drawing.

Lost Gulch

If you drive up Baseline Road past the parking at Flagstaff Mountain, there is a parking area for Lost Gulch. It is on top of a ridge with views of the mountains in the distance. There is still snow on the mountains in the distance, but the snow has melted off the tree and the rocks.

Melting Snow

Twin Lakes is a plein air oil sketch. We had a snow fall two nights ago that left us with several inches. But, as is the case in Boulder, the warm sunshine cleared away most of the snow. Today was cold, but clear, and tomorrow the snow will have melted away.

The Elk Family

This is another in my series of colored pencil drawings done on prepared paper. I use watercolor washes to prepare the paper. Then I let the abstract background inspire me in how and where to place the animals. I am currently working on several drawings of Sandhill Cranes using this technique.

Mallards in Boulder Creek

This afternoon we went downtown to see the shortest St. Patrick's Day Parade. Usually the weather on parade day is terrible, but today we were lucky because it was warm and sunny. After the parade we walked along Boulder Creek and saw pairs of Mallards in the creek. The males were in all their spring splendor. Of course now we are getting 3 to 5 inches of snow and expecting 3 to 5 inches tomorrow!

View from the Ranch, Snow Mountain Ranch

It is starting to feel like spring down here in Boulder, but parts of the mountains two feet of snow fell a couple of days ago. Here is a painting of more snow, but the willows are starting to change their color. I love their bright orange color against the white of the snow.

An Old Drawing

This is a very old drawing of mine. Many years ago I went to the Naturalist Center at the Smithsonian Institution. I wanted to draw bones and birds and all natural things. They had a stuffed Emu, so I drew it. It was as if the dead bird was speaking to me. In the drawing the bird looks as if it is ready to walk off the page!

Sandhill Crane Preening

I am currently working on a large painting of two Sandhill Cranes. This is a sketch that I did at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. They have beautiful dioramas of Sandhill Cranes and I have tried to sketch every bird. I will post the painting when I have finished it.

Mule Deer Buck

This is not one of the mule deer in my yard. It is a drawing of a mule deer in one of the dioramas at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I realized when I was observing the deer in my yard that they looked much stockier, not as sleek. It is because they have their winter coats. The deer in the diorama is sleeker and he has antlers. I loved drawing this deer. To see more of my animal drawings, please visit my website at the link on the right.

Bear Canyon

It is a beautiful day in Boulder. It is 55 degrees and the sun is shining. But there is still snow up in the mountains. This is a view of Bear Canyon. The oil painting was done up at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) not far from my home. Bear Peak and Green Mountain still have snow on them so I will be hiking down here near Eldorado Canyon.

Crossing the Pass

To get into the mountains in the winter from Boulder, I have to cross the pass, Berthoud Pass. The views from the pass are spectacular. Here is a small watercolor painting of one of the views. Driving through the pass, you feel as if you are right in the mountains. To purchase my paintings contact me through my website at the link above the coyote puppy or go to www.joanwolbier.com.

Skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch

It was one of those perfect days at Snow Mountain Ranch. There was very little wind and the snow was perfect for skiing. This is a watercolor painting of Snow Mountain. Another painting inspired by the beauty of Snow Mountain Ranch is called "Colorado Sunrise" and can be viewed on my website: www.joanwolbier.com. See the link above the coyote puppy.

Mule Deer in Our Yard

I woke up this morning to find mule deer in our yard. Such is life in Colorado. It was a family of deer that has visited us before. They love to eat my pansies. This a drawing of mule deer that I did at the Denver Museum of Science and Nature. To see more of my wildlife drawings, go to my website: www.joanwolbier.com. The direct link is above the coyote puppy drawing on the right.

The Puppy's Mother

For several months now, a fellow artist and I have been drawing at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The drawing that you see at the right is a coyote puppy. This is a portrait of the puppy's mother. Even though I am mainly a landscape painter, I have also always wanted to draw and paint animals. For more of my drawings visit my website, www.joanwolbier.com.

A New Painting

I have been working on this painting for some time, but I finally finished it. It is a painting of the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, New Mexico. I love looking down on the river and the rocks in the foreground. I hope that the painting gives a feeling of grandeur and wide open space, something that I am not used to. I moved here from the East several years ago. I always felt hemmed in by my surroundings back there. Out west there is more freedom to move around and to see.

A Snowy Day in Colorado

When I woke up this morning we had a few inches of snow on the ground and it was still falling. I decided to stay home and work on my website and my blog. I have uploaded a drawing that I did of a coyote puppy. Welcome to my first blog. I will continue to post my drawings and paintings. You can see more of my artwork on my website: www.joanwolbier.com.