Frosty Morning

Frosty Morning

6x6, soft pastel

Frost laced trees and shrubs greeted me this morning. The colors were quite muted and the neighborhood itself was pretty foggy.  If I waited until the day warms, I'd surely miss the frost and the neighborhood itself would take on a totally different feel.  The snow has been melting quickly the past couple days but in between our streets we have great little walkways where the sun doesn't have much of a chance to melt the snow.

Heavy Load

Heavy Load

6x6, soft pastel

Heavy Load is a scene from the common area across the street.  We have a great neighborhood with lots of open areas to walk the dog.  The snow was melting fast so the painting had to be a very quick study!

Warm and Cozy

Warm and Cozy

6x6, soft pastel

A nasty cold has set me back a bit...but not so much that I can't paint.  Today, I actually made it out of bed and back into the studio...mostly to sit in my favorite place...the studio couch.  The couch is directly across from a warm and cozy fireplace, the perfect place to recuperate. 

Below, was yesterday's Day 5 painting....a view from my bed.

Backyard Smoke Trees

Backyard Smoke Trees

6x6, soft pastel

Every year I severely prune our smoke trees/shrubs and each summer they sprout new growth causing what looks like knots where the old growth meets the new.  I took a page from Vincent Van Gogh's Willow's At Sunset, 1888 while painting my backyard smoke trees.  He did a much better job on his willows at sunset than I did on my smoke trees at sunrise but it was fun trying out his style of painting boldly.  One can't help but wonder what he was thinking when he painted...as for me?  I am battling a cold so my meds may have kicked in mid-painting or, maybe I had too much coffee this morning.  Unfortunately, I think I may have pruned my smoke trees too much...right now they look like a gnarly mess as does this painting.