Dec 20 - Snow Scene in Acrylics, Part I

My "neighborhood" here in New Jersey got up to a foot of snow yesterday, so this morning I took the dogs out for a snowy walk. I realize as an artist it is essential for us to have sensory input to put the "real" in our work. (Unless of course, you are not a realistic painter!) So after the walk, I set up my traveling "light" supplies (see below) and began this 12 x 9 acrylic. I'm using the traditional acrylics, and did NOT tone the canvas. With acrylics, especially the traditionals, one of the great features is the luminosity that is possible with glazing and layering the colors.

This is the stream that runs through Ridgewood, New Jersey, and is near the swimming pond--now covered in a sheet of ice and snow!

My supplies... on the dining room table, as the rest of the relatives went into the city for storefronts and Rockefeller trees. Me, I loved my walk and afternoon painting. The wind is up now, and I imagine the chill factor is HUGE. Glad to be indoors with the doggies!

When we went for a walk, here's the scenery that greeted my snow-starved eyes. That's Sparky on the left and Hiroo ("hero") on the right, the family dog, also a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. He's just five months and quite a bundle of energy!

My supplies for the painting are a Bob Ross easel (packs flat, holds all sizes of canvases), about seven brushes, a glass pie plate on which is folded a wet paper towel, on which I have placed a limited palette of burnt sienna, cad red light, cad yellow, titanium white, thalo green, ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Perfect for snow scenes, except I think I might miss my cool red, and a spray bottle of water.... hmmm, holiday shopping anyone? I brought gloss medium/varnish for glazing. Newspapers and the plastic drink cup for water finish out the scene. Yup, it can be done!

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