One evening after visiting and photographing a farm up in Fletcher Vermont, I noticed this scene with the moon rising with the alpine glow lighting up the snow-covered in the foreground. I knew immediately I wanted to try and paint it. Paintings like this can present a challenge getting the right balance of light and dark, warm and cool and photos don't capture the range of values you see with your eyes. I've learned to make adjustments in the studio to the images I capture in the field, and rely on memory and years of experience outdoors to bring back the feeling of a place to the canvas.

I also find that when I tackle a moonrise or moonset painting, I suddenly want to add that magical lunar element to lots of paintings. And I keep a close eye on the calendar and the weather forecast around the time of each full moon.