Winter. It's coming, you know. Don't you feel it? The chill breeze portends the coming storm. The stark branches silhouetted against the low, leaden clouds. Oh look! Flurries! Followed by the ever swiftly falling flakes as they twirl and whirl in the air, piling up on the lawn, the sidewalks and the streets. But you can't sit in your snug home and watch the snow can you? No, you have to go out and brave the storm to get to work. You feel the sting of the snow against your cheeks as you scrape the ice off the windshield of your car. Your earlobes start to throb just before the sharp pain of frost bite sets in. Now you kinda wish you had worn that dorky looking hat after all... I could go on, but I'm making myself nauseous.
Why do people love Winter? You have to spend a half-hour to get all the extra clothes on just so you can walk out to the mailbox. It's dark all day, except for maybe that half-hour of sun you get from sunrise at 11:35am to sunset at 12:22. But you know what? Damn, it's pretty. The silver and blue of the shadows, and every color you can imagine softly playing against the snow at sunrise. The light is crisp and clean. It sure does make for some cool paintings. Pardon the pun.
This one I named Winter Light, Cundy's Harbor. I kept the relative values a little darker so I could show the sparkle of the snow. I think you will be able to see it if you click on the photo. One of the fun things I try to do in a Winter painting is see how little straight white I can use. This next one is of a small town in Maine just next door to Pittston.
This one is of the Church and Courthouse in Wiscasset. No pure white in this one. The last one I'll show is called December Afternoon, and it was done this past January. Sometimes you see a sight that just needs to be painted. For me, this was one of those.
I'm sure I'll see more scenes like this in just a few short weeks. By the first of February I'll be anxious to see some green, but instead I'll know I still have at least two more months of snow. Winter may be Maine's longest Season, but Summer is my favorite week of the year.
3 comments:
Dang, these are gorgeous! I especially like "December Afternoon". The long shadows across the snow are stunning.
I love looking and reading about your winter weather while enjoying our balmy November weather. We see lots of campers with northern license plates this time of year. We call them snowbirds.
I guess living in Maine has its advantages, especially with snow painting. Nice work.
Beautiful work with your winter paintings... I like them but i don't like the winter and the snow !...Kisses
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