FINAL GASP OF WINTER

THE CHICKENS are laying again. SPRING is imminent. SAD in a way. I don't usually enjoy winter. It's a nuisance in many ways - boots, heavy coats, gray skies, icy roads, too much comfort food - but the snow pack is essential to Central Washington - AND it provides some of the best painting reference an artist could ask for . . . so because it was 40 something yesterday, I donned a jacket, boots, gloves and headed out for a walk with my trusty cell phone - hoping to capture the last of the snow among the sagebrush. I was soon rewarded. Here is just one shot and a thumbnail of a possible future painting. The thumbnail got a bit too detailed, but I will remedy that in the painting - I'm thinking of adding some quail or maybe even deer tracks - I saw the largest tracks I've ever seen - must have been a huge buck! The fun part of this type of reference is that you can change shapes easily - modify the shape of the snow - the wheatgrass can be modified by adding more color - or less. The distant ridge can be pushed back with a light purple and then punch in a dark sky to indicate an approaching storm . . . artistic license - I've renewed mine for the year, have you? (of course all my photos, thumbnails, and paintings are ©Jen Evenhus)