First Big Snowfall

Orchids, blooming in a windowsill.

The first big snowfall of this season took us by surprise. We awoke from dreamy sleep, and looked out the window to see the whole lot covered in white . . . and silent. A big cape of white, thrown atop everything—as if to stop the world.

We ventured forth despite the cold and cumbersome streets, slipping our way along to a coffee shop that dared to open. Not as busy this morning. After coffee and the Sunday paper, we trudged for a walk in the old part of town. Our dog, Gracie, liked this new experience very much, leaping about with glee. She comes to us from California, where she never knew what cold is.
I love photographing in snow . . . it is poetic, and shapes become minimal—surfaces serene.

An Overnight Trip

If I wake with a feeling of sadness, and during the day I panic with a sense life is ending, well, it may be because summer is over and nature is shifting into the season of death for all things green and deciduous. The days grow shorter and the air grows colder.

"Cliffs and Lake" oil on linen, 12 x 12 inches

Heidi Of The Mountains and I took an overnight trip to a beautiful lake and camped out in my van. We do not need much to make us comfortable. All we had was a foam pad to sleep on and an overhead light. Most of the other campers were in expensive recreational vehicles with all the luxuries . . . but that distinction did not help one couple who were several sites away in their RV. After the sun sank below the horizon and darkness fell upon the land, they began fighting and the altercation escalated to what sounded like blows and screaming and crying. 

"Heidi's Mountains" oil on canvas, 11 x 14 inches

It is wonderful to paint outdoors. The first step is to find a location that offers the right view. This can take time . . . to search the landscape for the right elements and perspective to make an interesting and captivating composition. On day one, I made a painting of jagged cliffs at the lake edge. Heidi is becoming an ardent artist and stayed behind at the camp site, choosing a different view to a distant mountain. The wind picked up and we both had our painting knocked over. Mine blew down at the start, before I had begun much work, so I secured it better, resumed, and was able to finish. The wind blew Heidi's into her, and ruined it so that she had to begin again. In the end, she almost cried with frustration since the piece never regained its likableness and she had to throw it away. 

The next day, we decided to paint in the morning before the wind came, and we both came up with artwork we fancied.

"Bluffs at Ghost Ranch" oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches

To see more paintings go to Steven Boone Paintings