Before the Storm

Before today's snow storm, yesterday's weather was beautiful with snow on the ground from the previous storm, so I went back to the crazy willow at the small pond.  It was warming and the snow on the branches occasionally fell heavily into the pond, simulating fish jumping out and back in.  12x12 oil on panel.

We'll See

A couple days ago with the temperatures in the fifties and a hint of spring in the air, even though it was still February, I suggested to the farmer that winter was over.  His reply was, "We'll see."  Of course, today it's snowing like crazy.  Here's the quick oil sketch I did that day of the farm buildings that naturally fit with the earth and mountains around them into a compact composition.

Shrinking Ice Cap

Winter seems to be fading fast.  I went to another tiny pond to catch its last remnant of ice in this ugly little painting.  I was attracted to the mountain and ice forms moving in opposite directions, one substantial and the other quite ephemeral, but visually of the same weight, with the trees forming a grid tying them together.  That's only part of it.  8x10 oil on panel.

Looking At You

Moving to a different spot a few feet away, I painted another view of the unwieldy old tree at the mirror pond.   The tree blends in with the mountains in the back and the pond in the front.  There is something to the idea that when you look at something intently, it looks back at you.  12x12 oil on panel.

The Handsome Willow Tree

At Caretaker Farm in Williamstown, MA there's an old willow tree standing by a small, round mirror pond.  The tree is quite disheveled but I suspect the tree doesn't care even though it can see itself every day in the pond.  Most of the time the tree may be looking in the other direction at the mountains.  I spent part of my day looking at the tree, which I found quite handsome.  12x12 oil on panel.

Encountering a New Place

It's always exciting to encounter a new place to paint, this time a farm in Williamstown, MA that I've looked at from a distance for a long time.  This is a contre-jour plein air view of two barns and the space between them, a 9x12 oil on panel.