woods

Winter Woodlands Series

Winter woodland cardinals by Terri Wilhelm
| 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.

Winter wonderful bunny by Terri Wilhelm

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.

Winter wonderful Owl by Terri Wilhelm

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.

Afternoon Hike

| terriaw

It’s been over a month since I’ve been on the hiking trails! Life can get busy at times, and I forget to stop, take a deep breath and listen to the quiet in the woods.

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IMG_2471It always feels good to step away from the computer, get some exercise and breath in the fresh air. Often times, I end up doing a little treasure hunt, looking for a variety of colors, shapes, textures and patterns.

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IMG_2476It was just the mental pick-me-up I needed for a Monday afternoon! Happy hiking!

Terri

From My Sketchbook: September Doodles

| terriaw

In order to fill up more sketchbooks, which is on my bucket list for 2015, I’m having fun coming up with new drawing prompts, so I’ve been trying to sketch A LOT more lately. One thing I’ve been doing is a monthly doodle calendar, but instead of using it like a diary, I’m using it to do a daily doodle.

For the month of September, I went with a theme centered around the woods and things you might see and find in the forest, since we usually start hiking again, now that it’s less buggy in the woods around here. It’s one of my favorite subjects to draw!

sketchbook page for september doodles

I’ve never drawn some of these little doodles before, so it was a good challenge, and I’m so happy with how this turned out! Happy drawing!

Terri

Click here to see my August doodles

Click here to see my July doodles

Click here to see my June doodles

Click here to see my May doodles

Click here to see my April doodles

Click here to see my March doodles

Click here to see my February doodles

Click here to see my January doodles

First Hike of Fall

| terriaw

We went on our first hike of Fall over the weekend! It felt great to be on the trails again, exploring the woods.

indian lake trail

woods at Indian Lake

Remember that old hollow tree I love so much? It’s still toppled over.

broken hollow tree

me in the hollow tree

It’s still early in the season, and we’ve had a lot of warm, sunny days lately, so we didn’t see a lot of fall colors yet.

leaves starting to turn

sweet gum trees turning color autumn leaf on the trail autumn maple leaf on the trail

indian lake Hope you’re out enjoying Fall too!

Terri

Hollow Tree

| terriaw

Remember the pictures I’ve shared over the years of this cool hollow tree on a hiking trail we love to go to?

the hollow treeI always love to hide inside the tree to pose for a picture.

me in my hollow treemy hollow treeme hiding in that hollow tree again!

We haven’t been on this trail for about two years, and we recently discovered that the tree collapsed. Here’s what’s left of it.

IMG_7340 IMG_7341Naturally, I still had to climb inside anyway.

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This old tree was such a wonder to discover in the woods and watch it decay over the years. I’m sure it provided shelter and sanctuary to many critters. Hope you’re out finding treasures in your world too.

Terri

In the Woods

| terriaw

There’s nothing like a hike in the woods to kick off the Fall season.

at Indian Lake trail at Indian Lake trail

goldenrod at Indian Lake trailThese woods were full of lichen, moss, mushrooms and all sorts of other hidden treasures.
 lichen at Indian Lake trail lichen at Indian Lake trail lichen at Indian Lake trail

acorn in the woods

mushrooms at Indian Lake trail ferns at Indian Lake trail

wild asters at Indian Lake trailWhen we started out on this trail, I was complaining that I never see an owl in the wild. A few minutes later we heard an owl hoot really loud! We looked for it the rest of the day, but the only wildlife we saw were blue jays and woodpeckers.

I’m looking forward to hitting this trail again soon to see some of the fall color that seems to be popping up overnight. Hope you’re enjoying some fresh air this Fall season.

Terri

Discovering a Different Woods

| terriaw

We spent our Saturday doing our usual routine – hiking in the woods and enjoying lunch at a pub.

There is a beautiful nature preserve right in the middle of our city.

I have to admit, I’ve only been there a couple times in all the years I’ve lived here.

Today we hiked through a pine forest, which was just beautiful.

Besides the peace and quiet you feel in the woods, I love to treat our hikes like a treasure hunt, noticing different smells, colors and shapes.

We are always on the lookout for fungus and moss, which grows in so many cool varieties, sizes, shapes, and shades.

Surprisingly, there are still lots of fall colors to be found.

The trail was completely carpeted in a variety of leaves, from brown oak leaves to bright yellow maple leaves.

Thank goodness the sun was shining because the temperatures were cool and it was windy out there.

I wish I could bottle up that tranquility the woods give me, and carry it with me everywhere I go!

The Woods Are Getting Bare

| terriaw

The woods are starting to look a little sparse these days, with many of the leaves fallen to the ground.

But it still feels good to be in the woods.

On a hike this time last year, my mom told me she appreciates trees when the leaves are all gone because you can see the architecture better. Such a cool way of looking at things.

I love to imagine what creatures are hiding out there, coming out only when all is quiet.

I love the earthy smells, the sound of the leaves crunching under my feet, the mystery of the hidden chirps in the undergrowth.

Even the woods are beautiful when they are bare. Hope you get a chance to soak up some fresh air this weekend too.

In the Woods

| terriaw

Another lucky Sunday spent in the woods!

This time, we decided to try a trail we haven’t been on in about 14 years, right smack in the middle of our local Arboretum.

It was just as fabulous as I remembered it, a thick woods with a heavy canopy and lots of ground cover, making for interesting scenery.

Talk about treasure hunting, in the woods, you would be amazed at what you can find!

Check out all these incredible little finds.

Always a great day when spent in the woods!