Winter is almost perpetually gray where I live in northwest Montana because my town is placed near the mountains in such a way that weather systems back up against the Rockies and hang out as inversion layers overhead. I don't know if my favorite color is gray because of this, or as a way to cope with it, but I love it, even when I feel extra cheery that one day in February when the sun comes out. But I love the gray. It's so nuanced and varied. I love finding the brushes of blue or pink among it, the hint of sun, the way snow-covered pines and spruces contrast against the rumpled gray sky. All I miss is seeing the stars and moonlight at night.
Wonderful thought, Antonia. I believe Vancouver has long periods of grey skies for the same reason - mountains, mountains, mountains, and the open ocean to the west. During summer, I enjoy overcast days a lot more than sunny days. They make the best backdrop for observing and appreciating the rich colours of nature. I think this is why I enjoy using a grey-tone sketchbook as well (as in the sketch above).
Loved seeing those moments of sketching in action, by the way. ☺️
Summer is definitely when I hunker down and get grumpy. The sun keeps shining! For so many hours! Days at a time! Is there anything more beautiful than an overcast, stormy day in August? Even more so in Vancouver, I'd imagine. The richness of all that green amidst the damp ...
After growing up in tropical conditions, I now prefer what I call "single jacket weather". 😅 Summer makes me more productive, but it is a LOT of sun for a lot of time!
I live in the desert. It doesn't rain often, but when it does it is often a very melodramatic event. We have (used to have? - not so much in recent years) a monsoon season in late summer during which the clouds build over the course of very hot days and then there is a thunderous storm for just a short while. But the rain that falls during that short storm fills the streets with water that runs like rivers through my town. It rains so hard sometimes, I cannot see the house across the street. And sometimes, the edge of the storm is so distinct, I can watch the wall of rain move toward me like a white-gray curtain. I can hear it too. I moved here from a place where winters were dark with clouds and rain, sometimes ice and snow. The clouds were low, creating a gray ceiling on the city. I could feel the weight of those clouds on my shoulders. Here, the clouds are almost always very high in the sky. I can sometimes see the edges of the storms, surrounded by blue skies. I can see the rain fall like someone has painted a purple swath from cloud to horizon - and sometimes, the rain evaporates before it hits the ground (called virga) and the streak of purple stops as though the brush has run out of paint. The desert can be a difficult and unforgiving home, but I love it here.
I have seen my share of approaching rain clouds (in Wisconsin), but would love to see virga sometime. The desert is truly its own ecosystem. It has been several years since I was in a true thunderstorm.
Very similar but the days are shorter as I live further north on the BC coast. Good news though, the days are visibly lengthening now. With the longer days there should be more clear skies as well. 🌞
Here in Vienna the greyest months are November & December and it is the time when I have most and worst of my yearly mental breakdowns 😅 But somewhere after the first decade in January we have more and more sun & blue skies, so it's getting better. I love your way of working in public places, I want to try it. I am playing with the idea of working some days from a cafe or co-working space.
I have only seen Vienna in the peak of summer, I am sure I would love to see it at other times too. Working in public spaces clicks for me in short bouts, just to get specific things done. Like a focused 2 hour job that I've been postponing for days. I find i need the white noise to cut out the noise inside my head. I take breaks to draw, which helps too!
Vienna is beautiful and worth seeing throughout the year! End of the year tends to be grey, but at least we have Christmas markets to warm our souls. Thanks for the tips, I am going to try it!!
Rainy season here is basically summer, so it's usually hot and humid.
This dynamic used to make it so the rain kind of offset the heat, but it's been a couple summers until now that many times, the rain isn't enough to lower the temperature to seem like it's cold, so you just stay WET and SWEAT lmao
It has been especially wet here in the Netherlands this autumn and winter. Apparently it was the wettest October in over a hundred years. Add to that, one storm after the other. We’ll soon run out of letters of the alphabet to name them. There’s something malicious about ice rain coming at you from the side at 60-70km/h. But we still put on our rain gear and cycle to fetch the kids from school. Stubborn? Maybe. People would just shrug and say, “It’s the Netherlands. It rains.” Or, “We’re not made of sugar.”
I remember very clearly the experience of cycling in icy rain! Vancouver is a lot like the Netherlands in terms of weather, but without the nasty winds! Can't say I always miss it. 😅
Lately here in Iran, if it rains, it won't last a season, and it ranges from a few hours in a day to two or three days in a row. Therefore, when it rains and freshens the air, i love to go out or record a video of it. After my walk, i love to eat a hot drink with a slice of cake, a cookie or a biscuit.
Sounds great. Iran is a very beautiful country, with lots of natural sceneries, lesser-known places, and all kinds of weathers. Moreover, despite not being an expert tour guide, i can talk about the places i've enjoyed visiting and staying (you may like some of them).
The description is the same here in Missouri. It makes me realize how important the light, warmth, and vitality of the Sun has, again. It's almost not the same without it...
rainy season in San Francisco is like living in an almost-dried-not-quite wet sponge where the streets and city dry just enough for the next rainstorm to begin
Welcome, Sue! Growing up in Kolkata (India), the first tropical thunderstorm of the monsoon season would be a welcome respite from summer. Now I experience rain in already cold conditions, and it only adds to the misery. :/
Oof. Sounds awful. I have to admit to watching several seasons of the History Channel show Alone, where competitors spent months trying to out-survive each other on Vancouver Island. A few episodes of that should make you feel warm and dry by comparison :)
Winter is almost perpetually gray where I live in northwest Montana because my town is placed near the mountains in such a way that weather systems back up against the Rockies and hang out as inversion layers overhead. I don't know if my favorite color is gray because of this, or as a way to cope with it, but I love it, even when I feel extra cheery that one day in February when the sun comes out. But I love the gray. It's so nuanced and varied. I love finding the brushes of blue or pink among it, the hint of sun, the way snow-covered pines and spruces contrast against the rumpled gray sky. All I miss is seeing the stars and moonlight at night.
Wonderful thought, Antonia. I believe Vancouver has long periods of grey skies for the same reason - mountains, mountains, mountains, and the open ocean to the west. During summer, I enjoy overcast days a lot more than sunny days. They make the best backdrop for observing and appreciating the rich colours of nature. I think this is why I enjoy using a grey-tone sketchbook as well (as in the sketch above).
Loved seeing those moments of sketching in action, by the way. ☺️
Summer is definitely when I hunker down and get grumpy. The sun keeps shining! For so many hours! Days at a time! Is there anything more beautiful than an overcast, stormy day in August? Even more so in Vancouver, I'd imagine. The richness of all that green amidst the damp ...
After growing up in tropical conditions, I now prefer what I call "single jacket weather". 😅 Summer makes me more productive, but it is a LOT of sun for a lot of time!
<<wishing for an emoji that evokes 'single jacket weather' because I can picture exactly what you mean>> 🌞
Rainy season? Here? No no. Snowy season! 😁 Living in south part of Sweden and for once we got a real winter.
I visited once long ago, and it was a beautiful winter!
I live in the desert. It doesn't rain often, but when it does it is often a very melodramatic event. We have (used to have? - not so much in recent years) a monsoon season in late summer during which the clouds build over the course of very hot days and then there is a thunderous storm for just a short while. But the rain that falls during that short storm fills the streets with water that runs like rivers through my town. It rains so hard sometimes, I cannot see the house across the street. And sometimes, the edge of the storm is so distinct, I can watch the wall of rain move toward me like a white-gray curtain. I can hear it too. I moved here from a place where winters were dark with clouds and rain, sometimes ice and snow. The clouds were low, creating a gray ceiling on the city. I could feel the weight of those clouds on my shoulders. Here, the clouds are almost always very high in the sky. I can sometimes see the edges of the storms, surrounded by blue skies. I can see the rain fall like someone has painted a purple swath from cloud to horizon - and sometimes, the rain evaporates before it hits the ground (called virga) and the streak of purple stops as though the brush has run out of paint. The desert can be a difficult and unforgiving home, but I love it here.
I have seen my share of approaching rain clouds (in Wisconsin), but would love to see virga sometime. The desert is truly its own ecosystem. It has been several years since I was in a true thunderstorm.
Very similar but the days are shorter as I live further north on the BC coast. Good news though, the days are visibly lengthening now. With the longer days there should be more clear skies as well. 🌞
I see sun on the forecast ten days away. Hello from the lower mainland! 👋
Here in Vienna the greyest months are November & December and it is the time when I have most and worst of my yearly mental breakdowns 😅 But somewhere after the first decade in January we have more and more sun & blue skies, so it's getting better. I love your way of working in public places, I want to try it. I am playing with the idea of working some days from a cafe or co-working space.
I have only seen Vienna in the peak of summer, I am sure I would love to see it at other times too. Working in public spaces clicks for me in short bouts, just to get specific things done. Like a focused 2 hour job that I've been postponing for days. I find i need the white noise to cut out the noise inside my head. I take breaks to draw, which helps too!
Vienna is beautiful and worth seeing throughout the year! End of the year tends to be grey, but at least we have Christmas markets to warm our souls. Thanks for the tips, I am going to try it!!
The great origins of cafe culture belong to your city! 🙌
Rainy season here is basically summer, so it's usually hot and humid.
This dynamic used to make it so the rain kind of offset the heat, but it's been a couple summers until now that many times, the rain isn't enough to lower the temperature to seem like it's cold, so you just stay WET and SWEAT lmao
Oof, nasty combo!
We are having warm rain here, in Florida panhandle. Reminds me of the rainy season in Hawaii.
Warm rain! 🥰
It has been especially wet here in the Netherlands this autumn and winter. Apparently it was the wettest October in over a hundred years. Add to that, one storm after the other. We’ll soon run out of letters of the alphabet to name them. There’s something malicious about ice rain coming at you from the side at 60-70km/h. But we still put on our rain gear and cycle to fetch the kids from school. Stubborn? Maybe. People would just shrug and say, “It’s the Netherlands. It rains.” Or, “We’re not made of sugar.”
I remember very clearly the experience of cycling in icy rain! Vancouver is a lot like the Netherlands in terms of weather, but without the nasty winds! Can't say I always miss it. 😅
It’s hard to forget.
Lately here in Iran, if it rains, it won't last a season, and it ranges from a few hours in a day to two or three days in a row. Therefore, when it rains and freshens the air, i love to go out or record a video of it. After my walk, i love to eat a hot drink with a slice of cake, a cookie or a biscuit.
That sounds lovely. I hope to visit beautiful Iran one day. 🙌
Sounds great. Iran is a very beautiful country, with lots of natural sceneries, lesser-known places, and all kinds of weathers. Moreover, despite not being an expert tour guide, i can talk about the places i've enjoyed visiting and staying (you may like some of them).
The description is the same here in Missouri. It makes me realize how important the light, warmth, and vitality of the Sun has, again. It's almost not the same without it...
The Midwest can be so hard during winter!
rainy season in San Francisco is like living in an almost-dried-not-quite wet sponge where the streets and city dry just enough for the next rainstorm to begin
In India, rain is about love, floods in Brahmaputra valley, swelling of Ms. Godavari and yes, Idukki's landslide.
Being a tropical kid since from the birth, yellow of the sun and blue of the sky, both are vital.
🥰🥰🥰 so true!
Gorgeous amidst the gloom - how can one not smile? And how you sneaked in the reverse side of the nib - love it!
Thank you! I love the versatility of fountain pen nibs.
Well, I’m from the UK and live in Northman England need I say more lol
Have you embraced the grey shroud over your world?
New to SneakyArt, but what a lovely post!
Here in Queens, NY, the rain is an almost balmy relief from a spate of days in the teens.
Welcome, Sue! Growing up in Kolkata (India), the first tropical thunderstorm of the monsoon season would be a welcome respite from summer. Now I experience rain in already cold conditions, and it only adds to the misery. :/
Oof. Sounds awful. I have to admit to watching several seasons of the History Channel show Alone, where competitors spent months trying to out-survive each other on Vancouver Island. A few episodes of that should make you feel warm and dry by comparison :)
I will check it out!
Further south of you, so rain right now, and the sun comes out every couple of days. Plus some very chatty birds have moved into the neighborhood.
Yay for chatty birds!