Some paintings are accidental. That is, they are not planned. Most of my paintings are the result of seeking the right conditions at the right time at a planned spot. This painting is one I stumbled into while walking with my wife on the trails in our back woods. As we walked and talked I stopped dead in my tracks, took out my cell phone, moved a few yards into the snowy woods and snapped a photo. Almost immediately upon returning home I started planning this painting.
The allure of a painting like this is the play of light and the warm and cool interaction between the trees, snow and shadows. This type of composition would work as an abstract, but the beauty of the Vermont woods in winter along with all this elements made this painting a joy to create.