Two Snow Scenes

Above, Bridge in the Snow l, oil on black canvas  /sold. 

Below, Bridge in the Snow ll, oil on black canvas, 8x10, $120 including shipping. 

Please email me at carrieBjacobson if you would Bridge in Snow II.

IT'S HARD TO PAINT SOFT WITH A KNIFE. Soft works much better with brushes, though even as I type this, I have a new idea for soft snow scenes. 

I've done a couple interesting fog pieces - softness is required for fog - by making a painting, letting it dry a little, then putting some gray white over the fog areas, and rubbing it off. Of course, it's pretty scary to do this, especially if you like the initial painting. Now I am wondering if a tactic like this might work, also, for snow. I think I will try a third piece, and post it here, in a bit. 

This painting came from a photograph on a plein-air painters group on Facebook. The person who took the picture (I think it's of a scene in Colorado) gave permission for people to paint it, and so I am including it below. 

I really love making snow paintings, but typically - for me, at least - they haven't sold. I was surprised and delighted when this one did! Who knows? Maybe the lower one will sell, too. 

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Coda

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; 

and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again." 

- Lewis Carroll

 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking- Glass 

Winter in Wachapreague - and Helping Allen

Winter in Wachapreague

Oil on canvas, 10x10, $125

Please click here to email me if you'd like this painting

That's right, it snowed in Wachapreague! Today, a bitter, biting wind is blowing, and I am glad the studio is insulated. Before the storm, we saw lightning in the night sky.

It is a challenge to paint a winter scene like this. There are many tones of white, but the untouched roofs, facing the sky, are the brightest - by a long shot.

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Allen Gaccione, who is 37, is the father of our youngest grandchild. Last week, Allen found out that he has cancer. It started in his colon and has spread to his liver. Doctors were able to get the colon tumor out, and when he heals enough, they will start with chemotherapy. 

Allen is a good guy and a wonderful father. He has worked for years at McQuade's Marketplace in Westerly, RI, where he lives. He does not have health insurance, in spite of working a full-time job. 

Friends have started a GoFundMe page for Allen; you can reach it by clicking here. If you want to help, that would be great. And whether you donate or not, please think of Allen, or send a prayer his way, if you are a praying sort of person. Thank you. 

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Dog of the Day

Who doesn't need a big box of Puffy? 

Want your pet to be the Dog of the Day? Send a jpg to me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

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A Final Thought

"A good artist has less time than ideas."

- Martin Kippenberger

Winter's First Snow - and... Finished?

Winter's First Snow

oil on canvas, 10x10

sold

A friend and reader of this blog sent me a photo from the winter's first snow in Connecticut. I love making snow paintings, and had never tried a minimal one, though of course, it is a natural, right? 

I had an absolute blast making this piece, and then my friend bought it. So, fun for both of us! 

If you'd like a snow painting, 10x10 for $100, please let me know. I love painting them, but as a general rule, they don't sell at shows. So I'm happy to paint them for you - and I have ideas about giving them as Christmas gifts. 

Want one? Drop me an email at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com, or call me at 860-442-0246. 

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SO, CLEARLY,  MY conversation with my artist friend has had an effect on my painting, as I've done three minimal pieces in a row. And that's good! I needed to add more to my repertoire. 

This wave is 24x40, so it's big. And I think it's finished. What do you think? 

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 Above, the gazebo in town, with the Christmas tree lighted up. There's a great story about this tree, but I need to wait until the weekend to tell it.

Below, Main Street in Wachapreague on a rainy evening earlier this week.

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Dog of the Day

Today, we honor and remember Xena, the wonderful dog who lived for the past 13 years with my friend Tiffany Williams and her family. 

In addition to being a good watchdog and a well-behaved girl generally, Xena allowed animal after animal to come into the house and be fostered. 

She went to the Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday, and she will be missed forever by all who knew her.