It's snowing

For the first time this year, it's really snowing. Snowed during night and this afternoon it started again. Unfortunately it's not that cold so it's very wet outdoors, in other words not as pretty as it might look in the photos. It was above zero almost all day (until the sun set a few hours ago). But at least it seems to be getting colder. Hopefully the snow lanterns by sis and I made will survive. And my snow cat.

Nature is always a source of inspiration for me. And while I prefer working with colours more associated with autumn or summer, I find winter inspirational too. Almost all of nature resting. The shapes of the trees become more visible as all the leaves are shed. The melancholy in seeing the dead plants, weighted down by snow and ice. The manmade beautry where outdoor lights become warm spots of light in the darkness. The black sky with millions of stars on a really cold and clear night. And of cause, when it gets real cold: the crisp white snow, the icicles sparkling in the sunshine, the blue shadows, the frost patterns on glass, the blue sky.

What do you think of this meandering pattern I found among the tree tops? I especially like the contrast between the soft white snow and the dark, wet bark. Many associate winter with white and perhaps light blue hues, but winter can also be dark: the sun setting earlier every day, the moisture darkening trees and stones, the long dark nights.

And winter can be green too. Not just the dark green of spruce, pine, juniper, holly and other evergreens. One of my favorites, the bamboo, is green through winter too. And an almost spring-like green it is. Like winter doesn't become it. In Chinese tradition bamboo is one of the "three friends of winter", pine and plum being the other two.


I did take many more photos today, but I think these really show some of the things I like about a white winter. Keep your fingers crossed it'll also be a white Christmas. That is not common where I live. About every other Christmas is white, but only one out of ten Christmas Eves are white. Christmas Eve being the day we celebrate the holiday in Sweden.