Painting Last Bits Of Winter

I Got out and painted what we in Minnesota HOPE is possibly the last bits winter.  I love the contrast of the ground with the snow this time of year and the beautiful patterns it leaves as the snow slowly melts.  My plan was to get out and paint the flood but it was pretty tough since the water was so high (floods do that you know. . . :)  It was a beautiful day and I was happy just being by the river.  The trumpeter swans and Canadian geese were plenty noisy, and hearing the ice shift as it forced it way to thaw was very powerful company, humbling to say the least.  Besides one lone hiker (who took these photos of me on his iphone) I was the only one out enjoying the day.  

What is the rest of the world thinking missing this stuff???  

 I fell in love with this tree and little patch of snow cradling around it's base so decided this would be the painting.  Initially I started out painting the light and shadows casting on the sandstone behind but ended up taking that out to support the design of the snow and the blue cast shadows raking across it.  Not to mention I was out so long my light drastically changed before I was finished!  All and all a good day!

this is a photo the friendly hiker took of my hand. . . . 

just getting my darks massed. . . .

"Last Bits Of Winter"

14x11 oil on linen panel

P.S. this photo looks a bit warmer than the original . . . .