Winter White
Returning from Florida's gulf coast to the snowy midwest in late January, was a stunning shift in color and feel - from sky and sea blues, warm sands, moist air and sunshine, to silvery grays and dazzling whites, crisply cold days.
I didn't feel I was really here, and wasn't immediately moved to paint, but wanted to use the nourishment of the trip for painting, so I stayed in the studio for a week, from early morning until nearly bedtime. The wind and snowstorms came and went, still not much happening inside except some canvas prep, photography, fooling around with things.
I papered most of the studio with yards of reclaimed cheap paper, and started freely drawing with crayons and pencils, trying to adopt the freedom of a child, not thinking about good or bad, just laying marks on paper.
I began reading the fine print in art books. It was a little grim, and I was wondering if anything would break loose.
Finally something stirred, and a giant canvas came into being, I think it's 17' wide.
It was immediately recognizable as the landscape around me, the silvery gray trees, the beautiful golden sedge grasses sticking up out of the snow and the winds and clouds.
This clear air, white landscapes and gray skies began to be invigorating, having a crystalline feeling, sharp and clear.
Three more canvases arrived, all of them with the clean lines, mostly black and whites. Here are some painting details:
I feel I've rejoined the environment.