Here is the other project from Julie Gibbons Alignment, Jewels in the Dark.

it’s sort of a weird winter solstice here in Michigan. our temps have been rather mild (30s-40s) and there has been very little snow.

it is not what i imagine when i talk about hibernating. although the dark hours are longer, there isn’t the layer of insulating snow or the bitter cold that would be the norm for this place.

the nights have been clear and the stars and moon and planets have been beautiful. the morning sunrise feel like they are full of fire yellows, oranges and reds, the bareness of the trees standing stark against the skies.

but no snow to speak of.

i really enjoyed this project. it reminded me very much of drawing as a kid. i did keep coming back to this and made several.

Part of the reason is that i was getting to know the tools i was using. the watercolor pencils didn’t work exactly like Julie’s (i’ll tell you it probably has something to do with quality since i picked up my at the local big box store.) once i got them figured out i really liked the mandala i made (the center one above).

i think i will be doing this again. i liked the free form, no looking part and the color in is very therapeutic, especially on those dark evenings when my mind is being to hibernate….at least for the night.

Winter Solstice: part 1, check out the other project for the Winter Solstice.