Winter Morning Through the Trees

It was cold enough that I could see my breath in the air - even in the car. The car took forever to get warm that morning, too, but by the time the heat finally melted the frost off the windows the sun was just beginning to rise. Looking out the recently opaque side window, the rectangles of snowy roofs made striking shapes amidst the trees. It was one of those liminal moments, fleeting but beautiful. Cold and still before most people were awake. No lights on in the houses. Just the first rays of morning sunlight. I was lucky enough to get my phone up and snap a quick photo. Now I'm trying to distill some of the feeling that moment into this painting. The cold. The stillness.

It's been fun working on this painting. The first session I laid in the background wash, the dark values, and the warm orange light band. Today I got to put the cool colors of the snow in shadow in, and they've just made the painting pop! I'm hoping another session will get this guy pretty close to finished.

-ZR