I’m finding that the more I read about other landscape painters the more that I learn that we have a number of similarities and one of those “traits” is a common love of painting trees in the winter. After the foliage falls off, the tree is left naked as it were, and we can see its entire structure, its anatomy and its skeletal shape. I think trees are like snowflakes…no two are alike. They each have their own shape, form and character. I feel that painting trees is very similar to doing portraits of people…the only difference is that I always find my tree subject interesting to paint as compared to some of the people portraits I have done!

I happened upon this old gentleman in nearby Brookville. The element which really caught my eye was the lowest branch which seemed to zigzag its way toward me, almost as if it was trying to elude me. There is so much form and character in this one branch; it’s in the light, it’s in the shadow, the snow lying on top of it is in the light, then ducks and twists into the shadows. And there is also the wonderful, warm reflected light which bounces up off of the snow into the underside of the branch. There is enough going on here to keep me excited for a couple of paintings!

Not unlike the paintings themselves, titles for them sometimes come easier than others. I struggled with naming this one (which I do pretty often). I told my wife that I just couldn’t think what to call it. She looked at it for a moment, looked back at me, shrugged her shoulders and said “Old Man Winter”, then turned and walked away with a “that couldn’t have been much easier” lilt to her step!

"Old Man Winter"12 X 12 oil on canvas. Available for purchase. Click on the link below the painting for purchasing details.

Note that all of these small sketches are available for sale directly from me via this website. Simply click on the link below the painting for purchasing details. The price includes shipping costs.