Deer on the Run

December 19, 2025 | terriaw

I painted a few quick illustrations lately inspired by the deer you see grazing in the snowy cornfields at dusk in winter.

I love doing this landscape orientation. I cut a piece of Fabriano Studio Watercolor hot press paper size 11 inch by 14 inch in half, taped off the edges for a nice clean frame and painted a dusk background.

Then I worked from the back to the front, painting and penciling in the silhouette of tree along the horizon line, added some remnants of corn stalks in the background, added several deer on the run and filled in with more scrappy piece of leftover cornstalks up to the foreground.

I also made a couple smaller pieces using the Hahnemuhle Agave Watercolor pads whihc com in 8 x 10.5 cm. Such a fun quick size to work on!

I still have the other half to paint a wintery scene on, maybe reindeer grazing in a snowy field or squirrels chasing.

Winter Woodlands Series

Winter woodland cardinals by Terri Wilhelm

December 8, 2025 | terriaw

I was inspired to illustrate this series of winter woodland scenes after we got a big snow storm recently.

Winter wonderful illustrations by Terri Wilhelm

I love it when you look out the window and notice that one tiny spot of red, your heart skips a beat and you realize you’re seeing a cardinal out there in the winter wonderland.

Winter wonderful cardinals by Terri Wilhelm

I don’t see bunnies too often in winter – I know, because they are out and about at night and they tend to hang out in their burrows. So I wanted to capture that essence with the warm glow of a sunrise in this next piece.

I love it when it snows at night and the snow frosts every little branch on every twig and all the boughs on the evergreen trees. I’ve never seen a snowy owl in real life but we’ve had the great horned owls visiting our backyard lately, so they inspired me to add a little sparkle and magic.

I’m hoping to turn these watercolor illustrations into greeting cards in my shop so keep an eye out for those new listings to show up.

First Snow Bunnies

December 2, 2025December 2, 2025 | terriaw

I recently illustrated this trio of bunnies sitting in the snow, gazing upward toward a deep blue, snowy night sky. I envisioned a peaceful and magical scene, as if the rabbits are watching their first snowfall or marveling at something shimmering above them.

Ideas almost always start out with a pencil sketch which leads to a watercolor illustration. I painted this one on Fluid 6 inch x 8 inch hot press paper.

Each bunny has its own subtle personality—one looking up with its head tilted, one sitting squarely forward, and another posed more upright. Sparse winter plants on either side frame the trio, adding a touch of quiet wilderness.

I turned the watercolor illustration into a greeting card and postcard—a warm, whimsical, and serene winter feel—perfect for a holiday greeting, a winter note, or any message meant to bring a sense of calm wonder.

Stop by my Zazzle shop to check them out: Greeting Cards and Postcards!

We got over 10 inches of snow lately so I’m in the mood for winter illustrations. Stay tuned for more sweet storybook charm!

Bright Spots

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021 | terriaw

It’s been sooo cold around here lately that I haven’t been able to get out for some wintery walks in the neighborhood or on the trails. It’s minus 5 degrees with a wind chill making it feel like minus 25!

I have been noticing bright spots out my windows lately.

Still a joy to be able to continue working from home these days so I can soak these quiet little moments in my own backyard.

Snowy Hideout

January 27, 2021January 27, 2021 | terriaw

We got another big snow storm this week with almost 9 inches of new snow.In the midst of that snow storm, I noticed Mr. Cardinal hiding out in a tree outside my kitchen window.

Mrs. Cardinal is hiding in that tree this afternoon, taking a nap, but my camera couldn’t focus on her through the window and branches.

Such a joy to work from home these days and notice these little storybook moments in my own backyard!

Spring and Then Winter

February 24, 2012 | terriaw

I was so excited when I found some tulips coming up already!

We’ve had an unusually mild winter this year, with less than half our average snowfall. These tulips came up about a month early, but I’m not complaining. I am ready for gardening season, especially since I wasn’t into it last year with my usual zest.

To my surprise, I was excited to wake up to a winter wonderland scene this morning!

I think about 4-5 inches of snow fell overnight.

It was falling in really huge fluffy snowflakes, coating every single branch and twig, making for great practice with my new camera.

What I really want to be able to do with my fancy camera is to take closeups of interesting things I find in our gardens and on the trails.

Until our flowers come back to life, I am practicing on other things throughout our yard, such as these conifer branches.

Such a beautiful scene looking out the windows today.

I will definitely be going back outside to play some more.

December Garden

December 22, 2011December 22, 2011 | terriaw

No, there’s no gardening happening in December around here.

All of our plants have gone dormant for the winter.

Who would have thought I would find a couple varieties of moss still alive in December!

I still like to explore and see what’s going on out there in our little ecosystem.

How ironic to wake up to fresh snow on the first day of winter!

I admit I have been loving these mild days, but it will be nice to have white Christmas and some snow this winter. Happy Winter Solstice!

Art Journal 2011 – Week 5 – February Arrived

February 6, 2011 | terriaw

February arrived with Snowmaggedon – a blizzardy winter storm leaving us 15 to 17 inches, 2 to 4-foot drifts, and shutting down the city for a couple days. My classes were cancelled two days in a row, which gave me a good chance to get caught up.

I decided to experiment on one of my art cards with some sewing to capture this time of year when I start to feel cabin fever creeping in.

Life always brings ups and downs. Lately, I haven’t been very good at dealing with the downs. So I reflected on the ups and downs with some spiral journaling on my next card, which made me feel better. Kinda like releasing the worries so I can move on. In short, I’m glad last week is over!

I used watercolor crayons for the background because they give a nice saturated color, Micron pens for the center journaling and doodle, colored pencils for splashes of brightness, and then shiny blue and silver beads to add some pizzazz to the outer borders.

If you would like to see what Michelle and Sandra have been doing on their art cards, we set up a Flickr group to share photos of our cards.

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Weeks 1 and 2

Week 3

Week 4