What can I say about winter, but I look forward to it coming, particularly because being an artist I get excited by the first snowfall and I think of the painting opportunities it brings with it. Although the fall has its leaves and bright colours, this season is also brings out the artist to paint. Scenes I might pass by in the warmer months I might not give a second look may well have been transformed into something extraordinary by its winter blanket. Winter truly transforms the ordinary and makes it spectacular.
Being an artist who works plein air can be at this time of year uncomfortable with the colder temperatures, but if you dress for the occasion then the results are well worth it. A few people might they say snow has no colour, but if you paint outside like me you will find it has very reflective qualities and colour bounces off it in the most incredible ways. From the sky, the trees, buildings, the sun, and even bright colored clothing from people can all add to a scene. These subtleties would be totally lost if you take a photo of the same scene.
Winter can offer the same opportunities as in the fall but in a different way, you just have to look for it. Depending on the weather and how cold it is might determine the size I would paint. So in other words I work smaller when it is really cold as I need to warm up, a large flask of hot coffee certainly helps here.
There are certain things you have to be careful of when painting outdoors in winter, such as the spot you are standing will soon get packed down and icy surprisingly quickly. On more than one occasion upon standing back to view my progress, I slipped backwards and hit ground with a thud and my brushes were sent flying into to air! Good thing is there no one around usually to see you "flat out" on the snow, so your dignity still remains intact!
Once I am out painting in winter it never seems as cold as I first imagined and I always come home feeling I have experienced something.
John Alexander Day
January 2009
John Alexander Day is an accomplished painter with over twenty years painting experience who prefers to paint outdoors to capture the qualities of light and atmosphere in his paintings. Day captures the character of his settings using his characteristic strong brushwork. John Day is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and is a highly collected artist.
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