I live in a place where Winter begins in late October and doesn't end until sometime in late April or, like this year, early May. As much as I love hiking, riding my bicycle, swimming, log hours of daylight, and being able to draw outdoors without getting frostbite, I also enjoy the Winter. It is peaceful and somber and, although the climate can certainly test one's mettle, it's breathtakingly beautiful. Life goes on beneath the blanket of snow and ice. I took up snowshoeing two years ago and I enjoy it immensely. Because the days are so short in Winter, I have often found myself trekking around the wilderness as the sun is setting. As the already frigid temperature drops and the light disappears, I am immersed in an ominous darkness that I find remarkably calming.
This composition and color arrangement, although not of a specific place, was inspired by my many snowshoe excursions. I wasn't conscious of it whilst working, but I see now that I was trying to convey the feeling of quiet optimism that I get from the Winters where I live.
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