TM9255 Ode to the Winter Woods 36×40 oil on panel

Ode to the Winter Woods is my homage to the delights of hiking into the woods during the chilly season. Clean air and the sharp smell of evergreens are refreshing, but it’s the glorious slant light of winter that enchants. Shadows stretch and linger, interrupted by swaths of light. Blue-violet shadows are full of mysteries – who is hiding under the snow? And the bare, deciduous trees allow for glimpses that would be impossible in summer – there’s a creek back there? Details below. Enjoy.

TM9255 Ode to the Winter Woods – detail from right side, looking past foreground scrub into the woods

TM9255 Odeto the Winter Woods – detail from center with snow drifting from branches

Technical painting notes: All of the winter paintings start with a thin application of oil paint with a soft rubber roller, usually a mix of umbers and siennas, sometimes with a bit of pthalo blue added. While the paint is wet, I scrape into it with a silicone scraper, using it to draw the basic position of the trees and branches. I also drip solvent onto the surface to “interrupt” it, creating dots (and streaks, if I lightly brush the dots of solvent).  The mottled surface adds a feeling of depth to the final image. Once the base layer is dry, I use glazes (applied with a soft nylon watercolor wash brush) to develop the color, then use brushes and traditional transparent pigments to develop the details. Occasionally I use a small roller to again interrupt the surface, using it to reposition wet paint and blur edges. This adds a necessary element of chaos, which is certainly abundant in nature. Additional glazes are used to harmonize the final color, with bright highlights painted into the wet surface.