Wednesday, March 10, 2021

not a snowflake escapes Painting number 16

 "Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand."
Henry David Thoreau
We have had such a snowy winter, January and February frequent snows to bless the view out my windows. I am fascinated with the way the wind fashions the snow and then with the way the sun lights it up and the shadows grow long and deep blue and violet.
This painting was not planned in advance, spur of the moment I looked out a window and saw the blue shadows and brilliant sun. Here in West Chicago Illinois we don't always have a bright sunny day.
But when we do it is blindingly bright. 



One more snow scene before it all melts away. Looking out my windows at my front yard I am delighted by the patterns of shadow on the bright sunlit snow. The blue sky overhead reflects in the shadows making them appear all shades of blue. The sun reflecting back to my eyes on the snow is too brilliant, I painted this from life but ended up putting on sunglasses. It seems the coldest days are the ones with the brightest sun glare. This tree in the foreground is a little star magnolia that bloomed beautifully last spring. It’s also the grandkids favorite climbing tree because the branches are easy to reach. I’ll paint it again when it is covered in pink.