Snowman - Chubby Little Cookie Jar

 Snowman Chubby Little Cookie Jar

10x8, soft pastel

This little cookie jar is my favorite snowman. He’s quite old and the paint is full of fine cracks…but he’s still precious.  He’ll stays out on the counter all winter long until the snow stops flying. 

Footbridge In Winter

 Footbridge In Winter

12x9, soft pastel

This one is a larger version of one painted in January.  It sold but my sweet husband wanted one too.  So, here’s the larger version just for him.

Spring Thaw

Spring Thaw

9x9, soft pastel

The snow melted quickly once it started and the small pond behind our getaway melted within a couple days.  You can see in this scene that the morning sunlight was just creeping into view, warming the trees and beginning the thawing process.

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!

Arms Outstretched

Arms Outstretched

6x8, soft pastel

This tree is outside our back door (actually in the backyard of our neighbor's acreage so fortunately we don't have to rake the leave it drops each fall),  I watch it all year long through the seasons and marvel at it's outstretched branches.  During the spring it vibrates with new life.  During the summer it's bark glows when touched by the setting sun.  During the fall it's absolutely radiant with autumn colors and during the winter it gathers much needed moisture from new fallen snow.  

I'm not a landscape artist.  Artistically speaking, trees have been my nemesis.  Painting them seems so daunting a task and there are many other subjects that I enjoy painting more (ie just about anything else).  During 2018 I hope to change this feeling of inadequacy by painting them more often.  After all, I love trees and have climbed many many trees in my lifetime.  It was my favorite pastime as a kid.  I can just imagine how fun it would be to climb this gentle giant.

Winter Sunrise

Winter Sunrise

8x10, oil on board

I took an early morning walk the week our temperatures were below zero...so, it was fairly short lived.  But, I did get a few pictures of the colorful early morning sunrise which was just beginning to wake the neighborhood (only a few hours before another snowstorm moved in).  The warm sunlight was a welcomed sight against the frigid cold snow. This one started out much better than it ended up...I must still try to remember not to overwork things!