New Fallen Snow

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[Further Note: Remember that this is following on from my last posting which took place in December.]

C1579

"Ponderosa & Sagebrush beneath New Fallen Snow"

(Warner Mountains, Oregon High Desert)

Oil Sketch on Ampersand Gesso Panel

5" x 7"

SOLD

Just after I crawled into my sleeping bags, at 22:30 last night, a car went past on the road by my camp and up the mountain; where were they going at that time of night, and in the rain?!  I awoke at 01:30 … light rain … and again at 03:36 and snow, and by the time I arose and was out there were 3 or 4 inches of accumulation.  This was one of those mornings when I would use my loo seat (with legs), in a light snowfall … I did dig my hole beneath a Ponderosa Pine, but flakes nestled in on me nevertheless; I did not flinch.

At 08:30 a car came past and headed further up the mountain, and 45 minutes later came back down with a Christmas Tree strapped on top … did he poach it, since we are in a National Forest?  I wonder … I will never know.  Not another vehicle for the rest of the day.

I stayed put during the day and oil-sketched the snowy landscape.  The view in today’s sketch is slightly to the right of yesterday’s rainy scene, and continuing the Ponderosa grove to the right in that painting.  To those of us raised in the boreal forests of the Upper Great Lakes, it is always surprising to see a snowy desert landscape, but of course the High Desert is neither the Mojave nor the Sahara, and this scene is one of normality in the Pacific Northwest east of the Cascades; much more normal than a snowfall on the North Cornish Coast, where I experienced but one good one (and a couple tiddly ones) in the 23 years I resided there.  A pleasant day enjoying the snow, painting it, and strolling about looking at the various tracks that the passing animal citizenry had left during the night or morning.  The snow stopped for most of the day, save for a few flakes now and again.

No Imprimatura, just the white of the acrylic gesso priming on this sketch; the Pigments used the usual Rublev Blue Ridge Yellow Ochre, Italian Burnt Sienna & Lead White #2, with Winsor & Newton Venetian Red and Cobalt Blue.