Down By The River

Spent way too much time trying to find a spot to paint today. I started out in town and kept thinking I wanted to do an urban snow scene. I went to the top of the parking garage, I went all around downtown, I went back little dead end streets, all leaving me wanting...or I just wasn't feeling it?

So, I ended up driving out of town and down to the river to a spot I have painted before in the spring. Right now the river is up to flood stage and about to come over the bank. It makes for an interesting perspective of the towboats that are now nearly up to eye level, when normally you don't see anything but the pilothouse and radar antenna.

This is a pretty simple scene, so I wanted to really execute on my values and subdued color. The foreground snow was put in almost entirely with palette knife layers.

"Flood Stage and Frozen Field"
   9"x12" oil on linen panel
                $245

And here are some photos of the spot I painted.