Winter Waining

"Winter Waining"

12" x 16" Oil on Canvas
For purchase information, go HERE

Bagatelles:
Monday was Groundhog Day. Our state groundhog said we'll have an early spring, but the national groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter. Our family has voted the state groundhog "correct", the national groundhog "incorrect".

Our household is growing weary of winter! Every February is the same: winter starts getting really old and I start craving greens. Funny thing is we've got greens all around us--magnolia trees, mountain laurel, holly trees, pines, hemlocks--all these right in our back yard, but among the winter grays and cold temps, they're hard to see.

For this little painting, at first I wasn't interested in the barn but the pine tree. I wanted green! And the early morning light really didn't become a part of the equation until I was halfway finished and realized I was painting it. It was about then that I noticed that the barn was pretty neat, too.

Meanderings:
I had a real wake up call recently. I have accepted an invitation to a challenge group (see sidebar) where individual members take turns naming a subject (or object) that each artist will paint, not to be shared at all until the unveiling date when each group member will post ALL the paintings on their blogs. Our group leader named the first subject.

It was something I'd never heard or nor had any idea about. Our group leader mailed me one and there I found myself confronted with doing a painting of something about which I was totally ignorant. The next several days were spent getting acquainted with this subject before I could have any idea how I could relate to it in a painting.

Stay tuned on February 15 to find out what the subject is and how each of us interpreted it in paint.

In Other News: Pat Weaver is one the artists whose work, in Compose and Empty Easel, I use frequently as a strong example of good composition. Just down the road from here, Pat's giving a workshop March 30-April 3 at the Sautee Nacoochee Center, sponsored by Art Immersions (who brings to our area Charles Reid and Maggie Price, among others and sponsors this blog.) This is a real opportunity to crawl out of winter hibernation, trek up to our lovely north Georgia mountains and begin the birth of spring with an exciting week of studying watercolor with one of the best. Go HERE for details.