Snow Blanket

Sunrise over frozen waters and a blanket of snow greeted me this morning. I spent some time taking pictures through the windows - I did not want to disturb the snow and didn't want to leave the warmth of indoors. I was contemplating what snow scene I should paint, but soon I was feeling nostalgic as I reminisced about the snowmen, forts and games my kids played and the various adventures they had with their friends with, of course, regular hot cocoa breaks in my kitchen only a few years ago.

Soon I was chuckling remembering Calvin's explanation to Hobbes regarding snow as his medium of art in a comic strip that was on my refrigerator for a few years "This sculpture is about transience. As this figure melts, it invites the viewer to contemplate evanescence of life. This piece speaks to the horror of our own mortality." I am a fan of Calvin's creativity and here is a link for collection of the comic strips featuring his brilliant and bizarre snow art. " I tell you Hobbes, its tough being the sole guardian of high culture"

Drama and Splendor

We went to see an exhibit on photography by Ansel Adams yesterday at the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News. He was a pioneer in photography and has captured the beauty of various places -most notably Yosemite National Park which he visited almost every year throughout his life. I read that he believed "place matters, the world around us is a marvel to behold and to respect and to honor." The 48 photographs were selected from the collection of The Turtle Bay Exploration Park, Redding, California. According to the exhibit notes, "It represents about two-thirds of a selection Adams made late in his life to serve as a succinct representation of his life’s work. He himself felt these photographs were his best. Called “The Museum Set,” it reveals the importance Adams placed on the drama and splendor of natural environments."

I post the above photograph as a homage to the master himself. It was taken a few years ago when our backyard was blanketed with a heavy snowfall. The sunrise was so beautiful across the river, over the snow covered trees and chairs on our deck - I am grateful I was there at the right time to capture the beauty.

Daily Walk

I love to go on walks and I try put at least ten thousand steps on my pedometer everyday.  Where I live its a celebration when it snows and that happens only a few times each winter. I don't know if I could walk outside on a regular basis like this lady was doing at Grant Park, Chicago. The red canopy on the stroller, the little dog,  bare trees, white snow and long shadows made a wonderful winter scene. This was a fast, loose painting with no sketching. 

Daily Walk  - in watercolor on masa paper.  8x10"