Three Snowbound Sheep.

Snowbound sheep staying close to shelter.

The world is muted and silent as the storm unleashes waves of powdery white snow.

Three sheep stand close to their barn, not ready yet to give into the warmth of their shelter. While their curly wool is heavy with fresh snow, they are a hardy trio, braving the storm.  They are being tested by the wind, but they do not move an inch.

The thick layer of snow on their backs and heads begins to melt into the warmth beneath the fleece. The little farm girl has brought out her favourite colourful scarves to keep them warm.

This trio waits, patiently, trusting each other out of habit, to carry one another through the hours that remain of this wintry blast. Eventually, the storm will loosen its grip on the farmland, and the field and its boundaries, so well-known by the animals within, will reappear. The sheep will once again scatter as yarn unravelled.

Three sheep in snow.

Based on a short  mixed media tutorial by Mary Beggs Bosley, Three Snowbound Sheep, is on watercolour paper. The background simulates the barn in watercolour and marker while the sheep and the foreground are in acrylic paint. Colourful scarves add a touch of whimsy and brighten the sheep at least a bit. This piece took all of 30 minutes of my time, (using a hot air gun) just enough of an effort to get the painting crazies out for today.

Long ago, I bought this tool (left) for tole painting.

It creates a spray of snowflakes and I am not sure I like the effect very much. While I prefer tapping a wet, loaded brush to add splashes of snow, that too is sometimes unpredictable and the snow comes out as big gobs which I don't like.  I will often add snow by hand, dot by dot.

Spring Lamb painted in 2024.

I painted a spring lamb in March 2024. See Woolly Anticipation Lamb for Spring.

As we are in the middle of a heavy, day long snow fall, and it is a snow day across the region for all schools, I thought this painting would be fun and quick to do.

Rosie in her snow boots.

During winter, Rosie wears neoprene booties. They are difficult to put on her and we are usually two people to get them on – one to hold her and the other to put the booties on. So I was looking for something more convenient.

If you live in a warm country, you might wonder why she needs such boots. There is salt and gravel on the roads and the salt will burn her paws.  The gravel can get in her pads.

Then of course, there is a mess to contend with: the fur on her legs gets all clotted with snow and ice and dirt. She hates that and without booties and leggings, she is constantly stopping to lick off the snow.

Suspender boots for Rosie – she is not impressed!

So we are trying something new. These suspender boots cover her paws all the way up her legs to the body.  As you can see by the pictures, she is not impressed.  In fact, she refuses to budge in the house when I have them on her.

I was encouraged this morning, when on our daily walk, we met another couple with a dog named Sedona, who had the same suspender boots. Sedona’s people told us that she too, won’t move with them on in the house, but once outdoors, she is quite happy to go for her walk in them.

Rosie has a stubborn streak, as all Yorkies do. Let’s see if I can entice her to wear them in the next week or so.  (I have 60 days to return them, thank goodness!).

From wintry Canada,

Louise