On an early winter hike in Colorado I followed a narrow creek as dawn began to warm the snow, and a red fox appeared at the water’s edge. Frosty Dawn is my response to that encounter: the fox’s russet coat set against pale blue and lavender snow, with the morning light reflected across the river. I used deliberate brushwork to convey the fur’s texture and the glassy surface of the water, keeping the composition intimate so the animal’s alert, measured step remains the focal point. The contrast between warm highlights and cool shadows conveys the precise, fleeting quality of that morning.