Taking a Snow Day

We recently had a good amount of snow and school was canceled for the kids. Also, my wife, who has a 50 mile commute, took a snow day from work, so that left me free to hop on my bicycle and go out with my plein air gear and search for a painting.

I rode straight from my house and braved a few streets before I made it to the Greenbelt Trail. Once on it I had it all to myself, getting to lay down the first tracks in the snow from a bicycle. I made it to the Joe Ford Nature Center, a small patch of woods on the west side of town. For a quick escape, it's about as close as I can get around here.  About 3-4 miles from my house.

The sun had come out and was really lighting up the snow covered scenery and made it a little difficult to set up my view. But, I managed, and quickly got my little cigar box, converted to a pochade box, situated and went to work.

I gave myself an hour to get a solid impression of the scene on canvas. It turned out alright, then I returned home and performed some tweaks on it here in the studio.

Here's the finished work.

       "On Frozen Pond"
    9"x12" oil on linen panel
               $245