Registration is closed (but I can add you to the waiting list – write to bettinasbilder@gmail.com)

Registrierung ist beendet.

Sendet mir bitte eine email falls ihr gerne kommen möchtet, denn es gibt eine Warteliste, falls jemand ausfällt kann man nachrücken. (bettinasbilder@gmail.com)

Dear registered participants:

Please download SIGNAL app (like whatsapp) from your playstore in order to get all info about our Sketchtour Dinkelsbühl like: Program, Daily Info during Sketchtour and our plans for the three Sketchwalks. Thank you! We will add all those who sent their phone numbers at registration.

***

Liebe registrierte Teilnehmer der Sketchtour:

Bitte ladet euch die SIGNAL app gleich auf euer Telefon (ist wie whatsapp). Die bekommt ihr im Playstore kostenlos. Wir fügen euch der Gruppe hinzu, (vorausgesetzt ihr habt uns bei der Anmeldung eure Telefonnummer mitgeteilt) und ihr erhaltet so alle Infos zum Programm, den Sketchwalks und Infos zu möglichen Drink&Draw locations.

DIE SKETCHTOUR IST WIE IMMER AUS UMWELTGRÜNDEN PAPIERLOS. INFOS NUR ÜBER SIGNAL und nur für registrierte Teilnehmer.

danke für euer Verständnis.

RIVERPAINTINGS, Etappe 3 – from Elpershofen to Grossforst

JAGST hike&paint

My day began with a light lavender coloured sky and still we have the winter cold, but the weather is slowly reaching temperatures above zero and the snow begins to melt.  Anyway I ask myself, why on earth should I go out at this weather? The answer is clear: Because the sun is shining and it will be even warmer during the day and my addiction to paint outside is strong.

By car I stopped in Ilshofen for some provisions and had my coffee mug packed too. As I drove down towards Hessental, I saw many swans in the valley. Then I continued to drive to Elpershofen to park my car.

My plan was to start at Elpershofen, the place my last hike ended and walk towards Großforst. This might be interesting. There is an ostrich farm and I hope that the animals are out, but you never know…it is still winter. The hike will not be too far, so I will have enough time to sketch all day.

Wehr in Elpershofen

weir and part of Elpershofen village

The snow is melting. In the woods and in shady spots there is some and the river still has some icy parts.

My picnic blanket is very useful to sit and sketch to be sheltered against the cold and wet soil. Thanks to the sun, the paper dries much better and it feels more convenient than on my earlier trips this year. I was in good mood and used some pencils to be able to finish the watercolour faster. The car was still in reach so I stowed my first moist sketched paper away.

Then I started my hike to the right of Jagst river.

As I continued walking I saw the beautiful birches and the large old bridge dating from 1866 (renovated in 1957) behind me. Still it is sunny and it feels good to feel the sun on the skin. I follow the tiny street and cross a forest, where I saw a fox running close to the edge. What a beautiful animal. Too fast to sketch, but I made a pencil sketch out of imagination and coloured later. The river is to my left.

Fuchs am Waldrand

Next day after my encounter with the fox, I did several fox sketches. Here is one of them:

Fuchs im Winter

I reach Großforst and see that there are a few very sketchable houses, but the large animals I see at the edge of the village, first attracted my attention. As I sat down to sketch, just a female ostrich stayed unfrightened, the others fled, but came back after a while, very curios about what I was doing there. I just made a pencil sketch and then contiued my hike. Colouring would be done later, I thought, as it was beginning to get colder. The sun was already getting weaker. I was hungry as well.

High time for a hot coffee and my provisions. There is a bench right in front of the nice metal bridge. The bridge leads from Großforst to Kleinforst. But first the picknick. Hm, it was so good. Had a Pretzel with butter and the coffee was strong and hot. This point where I am now sitting, will be the start for my next hike&paint trip. For now it is the middle of my todays hike as you can see on the map.

Over fields and grass I made my way back to Elpershofen. Saw many birds like grey herons and different duck families. Nearly no cars, just three bikers on this hike and no hikers at all. The only flowers I saw were some little snowbells and a few crocusses in a garden, but that was it for the flora…anyway it shows that spring is just around the corner…

The temperatures are rising soon and it will be even more fun to sketch outside…hope I can soon carve out another hike&paint day soon….so stay tuned.

Elpershofen bis Jagsttalranch

RIVERPAINTINGS, Etappe 2 – from Hessenau to Elpershofen

JAGST hike&paint

Leofels

My second adventure of the hike started on a lovely January morning.  It was quite cold that day, temperatures around zero and the trees in the forest where partly frozen in the morning.

The hike would be a round tour and lead me to Elpershofen, which is about 8 km all in all to get back to my starting point (round tour).

First I drove to the ancient ruins of a castle called Leofels which is right above my real start in Hessenau. I thought I would have a lot of  time to sketch but the weather made it more difficult for me this time. Actually it was so cold that my hands hurt while sketching, although I had gloves on… began this direct watercolour of the ancient walls and entrance to the ruin of castle Leofels. It did not really dry so I gave up in between and finished the contrasting dark tones in my studio.

Hessenau, Mühle

Then I drove down to Hessenau and parked my car where my last hike & paint Etappe ended and started my second one.

Began a pencil sketch of the mill in Hessenau, which was my todays starting point for the hike, but it was so cold, that I even did not begin to watercolour.  I packed the paper away to colour it later at home.

The mill building was nicely renovated and the winter trees had no foliage but a few dry leaves.

Had a short talk with a lady at Milch-Häusle and off I went. Took the way to the right side of the river direction Liebesdorf and it began to snow while I was walking.

Jagst river was very broad and the valley was not as steep as it was earlier. I had a wide view, although the snowfalls turned the landscape into grey-white.

As I reached Liebesdorf I had to cross another bridge which was a concrete one and sofore not worth sketching it.

Then the way to Elpershofen was not as nice as I thought because of the extreme traffic on the street but there was no nicer way where I could walk, so I followed the street.

My highlight: To my surprise the small restaurant was open to warm me up and I had a good warm late lunch and some time to relax  before going out into the cold again.

It did not snow any more and the sun came out. I made a fast sketch of the bridge in Elpershofen. No details, not many colours…

Jagstbrücke Elpershofen

The landscape was turned into a white wonderland.

There is also a weir in Elpershofen, where in summer people go swimming. In winter there is total quiet. Saw two white herons on my way back along the other side of the river and one fox!

From down here, I could see the castle ruin of Leofels high above the trees and knew that I would soon be back at Hessenau where the car was parked.

Elpershofen will be my next starting point for my hike&paint at Jagst river.

This time it was really beautiful, but sooo cold. Thought that I would sketch more, but it was impossible to do so. Most of the colour work was done in the studio this time, but the experience to be out at any weather is a great one.

bei Elpershofen

Did not need my picnic snacks this time, as I was lucky to find some restaurant for the lunch break. Going out to sketch in these weathers is a great experience, anyway I would prefer warmer weather…

Can’t wait for the next hike&paint adventure…