Unlike Winter, Inspiration from Andrew Wyeth Never Ends
WINTER IN THE SOUTH
The painter, Andrew Wyeth once said, "I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it; the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show,” and, oh! how I agree! I find a naked landscape so inspiring. Not hidden by lush foliage but bare and linear. I find that a horizon with bare trees is a composition waiting for development on the canvas. Of course, winter in the south is an entirely different season than winter in other regions. A little frost on the landscape and a cold nose when you walk outdoors are exhilarating, it only lasts here for a short time. I take advantage by sporting a warm green wool sweater and holding a hot coffee or tea in the mug. It is a quiet season when people stay in and read that dusty stack of books by the fire. The world seems to slow down and the sound of your inner voice is more clear.
A SOUTHERN ARTIST’S WINTER LANDSCAPE PROCESS
Winter is a wonderful time in my studio because I feel more introspective. Artistically that is a good place to be. I have plenty of empty canvas that need a dream for them to become reality. I also have many canvases that have not quite made it - either incomplete or stumped with what the next step is. It takes a little quiet time and a fresh coffee. Then, clarity enters and I find the creative inspiration.
WHAT HAVE I BEEN WORKING ON IN MY STUDIO?
(Blue landscape painting, Sunday Morning 24x30)
I finished several landscapes that were based on photos that I have collected throughout the year. The reference to the season is not always what I chose to paint on the canvas. A bright colorful summer wood may become a cool blue winter like landscape. The swamp with its drab earth tones and murky water may become electric with color. I am drawn to a landscape for various reasons but how it develops in the studio can depend on anything from the music in the background or the ice that clings to a branch outside. Sunday Morning is based on a swampy area in Georgetown county. The photograph I referenced is colorless yet my interpretation leaned to a cold and wintry landscape with layers of paint defining the shapes.
Sometimes a painting needs an adjustment and this square landscape originally had an old shack in the background. While working on the other pieces I decided that the building needed to be painted out. It is amazing how the landscape’s shapes and colors worked better once the changes were made.
(Breaking Loose on the River, 24x24)
