A Yellow House in the Snow

Snowy Yellow House

The early March ocean storm still lingers and the clouds continue to sit over us in Green Harbor.   We head inland where the sun is shining brightly on the snow piles and instead of a deafening ocean roar, it is pleasantly quiet.   That is, except for the Spring songbirds.   Since our favorite landscape spots are snow covered, we pull into a local elementary school noting that the parking lot was nicely plowed and already dry.  

My first impression was that there was nothing there to paint.   As I have said before, even when there does not seem to be a scene worth painting, by picking something simple - even mundate - it will be transformed and seem entirely worthy. 

Across the street beyond a couple of snowbanks and trees, there was a small yellow house with black shutters and a brick chimney.   A large conically shaped cedar was on its right.   I set up my canvas portrait style and roughed in the sky and foreground snow with a one inch brush.  

The melting snow on the black roof formed some nice shapes.   My underpainting had been a swirl of cool pastels and some turquoise, and where I could, I let some of that show through.  I took liberties with the snow color and really pumped it up using lavender, yellows and pinks.