Showing posts with label fallen tree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fallen tree. Show all posts

Monday, January 14, 2013

"Winter Woods" (oil on linen; 12" x 12")


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Take a walk in the woods on a winter day.  There is a light cover of snow on the ground.  The late afternoon sun casts long, blue shadows over the snow and fallen trees.  Dry leaves still dangling on bare branches catch the sun and glow.  A magical moment to savor.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

"Winter Shadows" (acrylic on canvas; 24" x 18")


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In case you are wondering why I haven't been blogging often lately, here is why.  I came down with shingles over the Christmas holidays.  Yes, shingles.  Yes, it really hurts!  So I have been taking it easy.  Yesterday I felt a little better and overdid things.  Boy, a big mistake.  There is no reason, however, why I should always talk about new paintings.  I have plenty of old paintings to share with my readers.  Today I am going to share one of my all-time favorite paintings.

In northern Virginia, where I live, we get very little snow in some winters.  2012-13 seems to be such a winter as well.  Anyhow, this particular winter was one of those disappointing ones.  So when we had a little snow overnight, I was eager to take a walk in the neighborhood park.  There I saw this scene of the mellow winter afternoon sun casting long shadows over the fallen logs.  You wouldn't believe from the painting, but on top of the hill were suburban homes, which I edited out.  The painting was juried into The Art League show in Alexandria, VA in 2007.

"Winter Shadows" hangs proudly in my living room.  I don't paint this big very often, which is a shame.  I could play with subtle changes in color temperature and soft/hard edges throughout the canvas, while maintaining the mood of a brilliant light pouring through and uplifting the viewer.  Do you feel like you are standing in the woods and looking up?

Saturday, December 1, 2012

"Autumn Glory" (oil on linen; 12" x 8") sold


sold

These days I feel like I am on fire.  It has to do partly with my hot flashes (!), but mostly it is because of my ardent desire to paint better.  Compare "Autumn Glory" with my one-month-old painting, "Autumn Park."  Which one would you rather have on your wall?  Do they even look like painted by the same person?


"Autumn Park" (oil, 10" x 8")
sold

By the way, doesn't the gnarled tree in "Autumn Glory" look like a tree ent?  I found it in the woodlands at Green Spring Gardens Park in Alexandria, VA last fall. I wonder if it is still there, or wandered away with some hobbits.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

"Walk in Winter Woods" (oil on linen; 9" x 12") sold


"Walk in Winter Woods"
sold

"Winter Morning" (oil, 9" x 12")
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"Winter Afternoon" (oil, 12" x 9")
sold

"Fresh Snow" (oil, 9" x 12")
sold

"Snowfall" (oil, 8" x 10")
sold

"Central Park Snowed In" (oil, 10" x 12")
sold

I painted lots of snow scenes this winter, which required hard work.  It  was not because snowscapes were particularly difficult to paint.  It had everything to do with the snowless winter in northern Virginia!  I don't ski or snowboard, or didn't travel to snowy places to visit relatives this year. Alas, my plein-air painting friends and I waited for snowfalls in vain, with our new snow boots still in their boxes.  It is practically spring here.  I've spotted crocuses, snowdrops, lenten roses, daffodils, dwarf irises, cherry blossoms, and forsythia, so far.  Somebody told me that her tulips are blooming too!  We may still get a blizzard in March, but I doubt it.

Yesterday I reached the very bottom of my pile and completely exhausted the reference material for my favorite subject by painting "Walk in Winter Woods."  All the things I've learned by painting in a series went into it.  It is the grand finale, so to speak, and I am proud of it.

I've included in today's entry some of my favorite snowscapes for your enjoyment.  Until next winter, good bye, snow paintings.