Snow in Sedona

I had the opportunity this week to do a little snow painting with students.  As you may recall, we had a big storm this past weekend that sent us scurrying home early on Saturday before the roads  got too bad.  (Trina wonders how I ever managed to live and drive 25 years in Vermont; I'm such a wimp these days when it comes to snow.)  Of course, by the next day, the snow had all melted in town.  Right now, though, it still lingers beautifully in the shadows of the red rocks.

The first sketch, a 5x7 oil, I did primarily because I was interested in the mystery of the shadows.  I really zoomed in for this one, focusing on the interplay of light and shadow.

Shadow Mystery (sketch) - 5x7 oil - $60 - contact Michael

The second, a 12x9 oil, I did because it had been remarked to me that I haven't done any painting with a knife lately.  Working with a knife gives me cleaner color and interesting texture.  Also, because I'm working in a small format, it's hard to render detail, but easy to maintain the integrity of simple shapes.  By the way, when I paint with a knife, I like to start my block-in with a brush - it gets things going faster.  For both images, I've left the file size large so you can zoom in for the juicy details.

Snow in the Shadows (sketch) - 12x9 oil - $150 - contact Michael

I have some workshop updates for you.  There are only TWO spaces left in my four-day plein air workshop with the Sedona Arts Center, April 2-5.  This workshop runs four full days and is for all levels, all media.  And I have only ONE space left in my Grand Canyon advanced-level plein air workshop, April 26-29.  Sign up now!