When I visited this place a couple of weeks ago I was miserably freezing, I brought my grandchildren to see the new baby lambs. It was maybe 10 degrees Fahrenheit. But I made a promise to myself that the scene with the frozen creek and banks of snow was worth returning and painting.
I wanted to get out there with my little portable palette and easel and make a recording of that memory. Especially thinking about the banks of snow with the sun shining and the patterns of blue shadows reflecting the blue sky.
Today hovered around 40 degrees F and the sun was shining so it was tolerable. I finished this 8x10 oil work in about an hour and a half. The temperature was not high enough to prevent the paint from becoming very stiff and difficult to spread.
We have had a number of weeks here in West Chicago Illinois where it has snowed quite a bit. But today with the temperature rising and predicted to continue upwards it seems that the frozen winter is breaking. All that lovely snow will melt soon.
