Can you spot it?

This wasn’t done from a photograph, as you can tell by the lack of detail. It wasn’t done plein-air either, but it was closer to a plein-air painting.

A few weeks ago, after I had gone outside to feed the hens, I was greeted by this scene. The sun hadn’t yet reached our homestead, but it was striking the hills up northaway. I stood there for a few moments memorizing the colors and thinking about how I would paint it. Then, over the course of the next week, whenever I had a chance I would add to the painting. I painted only when there was natural light in the studio. Pretend plein-air, if you will.

Let me show you my process …

Step 1: cover the canvas in light green for the sky and light grey for the predawn snow.

Step 2: add BSB and its mountain friends in appropriate dawn colors.

Step 3: the lava fields near them have not yet been hit by the sun, so they are navy blue.

Step 4: add stripes of cloud, just as they looked on that morning.

And finally, add distant trees, canal edge, ploughed-up snowy field with tire tracks, and black road with tire tracks in the snow.

Merry Christmas!