
TM9509 Winter Ice Pond 36×54 oil on panel
Something about the way reflective surfaces yield their secrets when you look at them long enough. I’ve been studying an ice pond for quite a few years, learning about the way the thinnest layer of ice intrudes on the open water, the way ripples freeze, the soft tonal colors of ice, the bits of autumn caught in the ice, or poking through, the sky blues slipping between ice and snow – it’s all beautiful and challenging. I suspect I will be painting the ice pond again. Details below. Enjoy.

TM9509 Winter Ice Pond – detail near center

TM9509 Winter Ice Pond – detail from lower edge

TM9509 Winter Ice Pond – detail from upper left

TM9509 Winter Ice Pond – detail from right side

TM9509 Winter Ice Pond – detail from upper center

Technical painting notes: The painting went through many iterations. At one point, it felt too soft and and “careful” so I started the painting again, right on top of the failed version. I mixed a blue/black color and roughly applied it with a soft rubber roller (again), looking to set the basic gestures and textures of the subject. The bold restart, superimposed on the softer, quieter version, brought drama and strength to the panel. I used mostly rollers to work up the new version, with some glazing and a little brushwork. The final version still feels like my ice pond, but caught over a sequence of days. It also pays homage to the intersection of nature observed and abstract painting.