Snowy Woods

Yesterday was the first major snowfall in the Indianapolis area this year. In honor of the occasion, I want to tell you about this painting.

I had taken my wife to Bloomington North High School where she accompanied a singer at a music festival. It had snowed heavily, and the car slid all over the road. On the way home we took a back road. Off to the side, I saw this beautiful red barn back in the woods. It was gorgeous with the snow and dark trees around it.

You will notice that the snow isn’t all the same color. It is darker up front because it is in a shadow. I have used atmospheric perspective – trees are painted in front of the barn to give it a feeling of depth. I was able to put the barn and the snow in, but I struggled with the woods in the background behind and above the barn. My wife suggested I paint in a small section at a time – between trees. I tried that. It helped me to not be overwhelmed by what I needed to do. I wanted to give the feeling of snow in the branches and the frosty air. I didn’t quite know how to make the air look cold, so I used a cool color – blue, to create that atmosphere.