Snowscape Test

This week, I'm trying a palette of colors and working out different possibilities with the photos I took last Thursday morning. This is an 11x14in canvasboard to test different options. I'm trying to translate color into the experience I had and that morning. I would have painted outdoors, but since my oils are made to work with water, my brushes would turn to ice! I could technically use turp, but then I would have to sit out there and freeze....any excuse to stay out of the cold. There was a very harsh wind coming off the water, so I don't think I could have stood it for more than the time it took to take pictures.

Now, in the comfort of my home, I'm aiming for a dominant neutral palette. French Ultramarine Blue and Cad Orange in various tones. You can see areas on the canvasboard where I did a few swatches of color in the sky to make a comparison. I plopped a few trees here and there to get an idea where I want them. I also tried to mix it up in the foreground with brushstrokes to denote the slush-like quality of the snow. Not too happy with the results yet. More playing around might lead to something.

The more I think about it, I have a feeling that this painting as a finished piece may not be appealing in the least. I guess I want to find out if its something that I can convey effectively. If people get a notion of cold when they look at it, I know I'm getting somewhere!