In the spirit of the season, I've made this snowbound lass, Freya, part girl and part reindeer. I was walking home from the store one snowy day and found some cut branches lying on the ground. They had these lovely little buds at the end that reminded my of deer antlers, so I gathered up as many as I could and brought them home. (And got many a bemused look as I dragged huge, ice-covered branches through the streets.) I coated the branches with several layers of thick, clear varnish to preserve them and they turned out beautifully:
Then there is this bald little dear, Elspeth, who now has hair (ringlets even, and a little hat). But, as usual, I'm behind in my photos, so she'll show up bewigged in my next post. Elspeth is paperclay and quite a bit bigger than Freya. I think someday I might make some bald dolls - there is something quite striking about bald women. We all remember Sinéad, right? She was so stunning without hair.
While we've had nothing like the ice storm that hit the Northeast, it's been very cold and icy here. My husband and I went for a long walk the other day; it was sunny and bracing and the light shone beautifully off the ice. It always fascinates me how ice can coat even the the tiniest, most delicate surfaces, making every thin little leaf and stem glitter. This is the view from our front step:
And this is beside the train bridge near our house. I love our neighbourhood because it is a lovely contrast of prettied-up Montreal architecture with gritty, industrial landscape. And the major ethnic groups are French, Irish and East Indian, so that keeps things interesting!
Happy Winter Wonderland, Everyone! I hope you're keeping warm...