Warming up to Winter

Winter usually sets in here in Maine around mid-December. It usually takes me time to shift from the brilliance of Fall to the grays of November to the contrasts of winter before I get my artist's eyes back. Then I start to see all the colors in the white of the snow and all of the other possibilities that the low, bright light of winter reveals. Herewith some recent examples.

Snow FencesOil on Canvas 16" X20"
This was a "pretty" snowstorm that came as a surprise one day. After it was over. I saw that the snow was sticking to branches, high wires, etc., the signal that there would be some interesting images to be had. I went to Willard Beach and found that my old favorites, the snowfences, were performing for me with their sinuous lines accented by the snow. This is the result. But there was more that day:

Snow Trees
Oil on Canvas 14"X 18"
This pair of Mountain Ash trees sits just behind the bath house on Willard Beach. This time of year they are laden with bright orange berries that clump together to make perfect receptacles for new fallen snow. I thought they were worth capturing, again with all of the interesting colors in the snow's reflected light. A couple of the berries sneaked through too. Next day, of course, the snow was gone.

Winter on the Beach
Oil on Canvas 11" X 14"
A day or two later, I was taking my usual morning walk on the beach. The tide was ebbing leaving interesting patterns in the wet sand. This view is looking north with the Spring Point Lighthouse just in view.
I did each of these three pictures with just one color and its complement, and all of the neutrals in between using white and black for light/dark. This was inspired by a book I read by Stephen Quiller called "Color Choices" which presents some interesting ideas on how to create paintings with color harmony. I recommend it for my artist readers.

Winter's Treasures

I haven't been blogging lately, not because I've been in hibernation. Not at all. Winter in Maine has many gifts for painters and I've been honored to receive many of them. Here are a couple, inspired by my daily walks on our nearby beach. It's called Willard Beach and because it's southeast-facing, the stroller is protected from the northwest winds that blow incessantly at this time of year. Most mornings it's pleasant even in the winter, but if the wind changes direction, watch out!


Winter Morning Silhouettes Oil on Canvas 18"X24"
This was a cloudy morning with the sun peaking out from cracks in the cloud cover. There was a strong reflection on the water the intensity of which is very hard to capture. I try to do it by contrast, but if there is a better idea out there, please let me know!


Snow Fences Oil on Canvas 16"X20"
These are installed to not only prevent drifting but also to protect the dune grass. If you look at them just right, you can find interesting compositional patterns. I added footprints for balance and added tiny figures on the beach to show distance. The first picture faces into the morning sun. The posi tion for this one is further to the north with the afternoon sun to the rightrear.

Baby Blue House on Beach Street

Oil on Canvas 11 X 14
You know how you can walk by a place day after day and not give it a thought, then all of a sudden it jumps out at you and says "Paint me!" I must have walked by this house 200 times in the past couple of years. One day I looked up and knew that I should paint it. So I did! It's on a street one block from my house that goes down to Willard Beach, here in South Portland. The light just suited my style that day. I titled it so because I love alliterative names. It's my past as a copywriter haunting me.