Winter Blues - 2/2/25

January and February always seem to drag on, don’t they? The dark days, the cold, the bare trees and lack of color…. It’s enough to make me want to hibernate! But I know that’s not good for me so I force myself to get outside and enjoy the natural world as much as possible when the weather allows. I’m always struck by the pretty textures of the bare trees and rocks that are more visible this time of year when there’s no foliage to cover things up.

The Virginia landscape after a snow storm. Once the skies cleared, it was wonderful to see the brilliant blue sky and blue shadows cast on the snow.

Winter is the perfect opportunity to appreciate the different shades of brown, tan, gray, and green we see on bare branches, tree trunks, and rocks.

Studying the many varied textures of rock and winter foliage and trying to capture them in watercolors!

I’m always amazed at the hearty fishermen who will still be out fishing the river despite the freezing cold temps! I had to add a fisherman to my composition!

I wanted to capture the winter colors and serenity that a fisherman might witness as he enjoys the silence of a snowfall and the water flowing past rocks.