What does winter mean for the Plein aire artist?

 The Coming of Winter

Most of the time the thought of winter and shoveling snow can make us cringe.  As a plein aire artist used to painting outdoors winter can be a bit of a challenge.  Warm clothes are needed, the days are shorter and the light is different.  What I like most about winter painting is that the palette changes.  After months of paintings greens, you progress into the mantic colours of fall.  Winter then becomes refreshing with a limited palette of purples, pinks and blues as snow is rarely seen as "white".

This is a painting from winter 2022.  "Creek and Rock" is an oil on masonite and was painted in studio from a plein aire sketch I did while in the Georgian Bay area of Parry Sound.  You can see what I mean about snow not being white.

Painting plein aire this fall

The weather this fall has been perfect and has offered me many opportunities to go out and paint.  Not every sketch is golden.  But most of the time I do come home with something I am happy with. 

This is an 11" x 14" oil on masonite plein aire painting that I titled "Fall in Pontiac".  It was a quiet road and I took advantage of the opportunity to paint.

I painted this one as I was heading to Gatineau Park.  I wanted to paint at Lac La Peche.  As I was driving there I saw this beautiful farm house and drove past to only end up turning around and coming back to paint it.  I couldn't pass up on the opportunity.  The farmer didn't know what to make of me painting his house but I didn't mind.  This painting is 11" x 14" oil on masonite called "Before the Hill".

If you are interested in these or would like to look at some of my other work please go to my website at www.fineartbybettebelanger.com.