Above, is an unfinished 6x12 plein air painting of a partially frozen Echo Lake at the base of Mount Evans I did years ago. It was a cold, grey, blustery day. A passerby on the trail commented he'd never seen anyone paint with gloves on before. Well, I eventually decided to call it a day when the wind whipped up and blew the canvas off my easel and into the lake! Fortunately I was able to recover it with a long branch and am able to present it to you here today. Yes, it is the journey that matters. And I say persevere! Stay warm out there...

In honor of the Solstice, I have two paintings for you. We have had very dry, record warm weather these past few months, but the first day of winter has brought us here in Colorado, a forty degree drop in temperature and some snow! I love the obscuring of the snow. It simplifies and softens the visual world. That was the inspiration for A Trace of Snow, below. And of course the return of the light, for the work on the bottom. The days have metaphorically been pretty dark lately, but I truly believe brighter days for all lie ahead.

A Trace of Snow   12x12   Acrylic on Canvas sheet

Light's Return   12x12   Acrylic on Canvas sheet

Veil 8   6x6   Acrylic on Ampersand Gesso board

​Painting on the finer texture board, rather than canvas, allowed me a smoother more gossamer effect for the veil. Perhaps it is the good tidings of the season that allows us to see beyond the day to day into the prism of the Higher Vibrations.

Bare Trees Blue Sky  6x6  Acrylic on Canvas board

These are the same trees I painted in Hill Trees at Sunrise, but now weeks later, they've lost their leaves and the sun is coming from a frontal angle in the afternoon, rather than being backlit by the sunrise. Still beautiful in their shape and starkness. I love the zen of Winter time.