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I always look forward to Winter and snow right after Thanksgiving and then when Christmas rolls around.  Then I  kinda feel over it.  Truth is, our winters in Kansas don't really start until January and February and can last well into March.  I've learned to embrace Winter now and lean into the season and all the goodness it has to offer.  Here are some of my Winter favorites that help me create a cozy and hygge feeling.  

Our beautiful stone fireplace with a roaring fire.  There's nothing like sitting by the fire with a cozy blanket, a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa and a pile of books.  Hands down my most favorite place to be when it's bitter and cold outside.  I make sure to fill my bird feeders often, especially knowing that Kansas has some amazing wild bird populations that love to stick around during the cold months.  

I often take my coffee into my art studio to check out books from my own little art library, brimming with art books I've curated over the years.  You can never have too many books...unless they sit on a shelf unread.  That would be a shame. 

I turned a bedroom closet into my own art library, complete with an old leather chair nearby, a warm lamp and a pile of cozy blankets.  

I will venture out if the weather is moody and overcast and especially after a fresh snow.  The trees have all lost their leaves and are taking their long Winter's nap....except for the cedars.  They are staying green and provide the prettiest contrast against the simple background.  I always have my big camera with me so I can snap photos for studio paintings.  I'm not much of a Winter plein air painter.  

That brings me to my studio paintings,  Painting Winter scenes has become a favorite Winter activity that I try to start early but every snow makes me want to paint more snow.  I have been offering Winter themed ornaments the last few years and this year I opted for some miniature Winter scenes in small brass frames.  This was the start of my Winter Path series.  There's a few of these still available in my online shop.  

I then continued my Winter Path series with 8 unique Winter scenes from around my home.  Each has special meaning and I love each and every one of these paintings.  There are some still available in my shop.  Each painting is on a wood panel with lots of texture and subtle oil paint and comes framed in a vintage gold frame.  I have quite the collection of vintage frames and decided it was time to start pairing them with my beautiful paintings.  

A few of the scenes I chose because of the dried, golden grasses still showed and paired so well with the frames.  

Each scene is a snowy, wispy, Wintry wonderland.  

In keeping with the Winter Path theme, all of the paintings have a path or road that leads off into the distance. 

This is a favorite below that I must keep for my private collection.  I take my dad on a buggy drive almost every day that the weather permits.  The stories come to life when Dad is surrounded by his meadows.  

This was a viewer favorite, with its golden hour glow.  Still available here.  

I've always wanted to paint this path that leads to our back timber.  It's well worn and feels like a place that belongs to just us.  

One of the many country drives we take, with warm travel mugs of coffee.  

I also love when I hear from viewers, that my country scenes remind them of home or a grandparent's farm.....some fond memory or a place they wish they could be.  That's always what I want to paint....a scene you want to walk into and a story that I start and the viewer finishes.  I hope if you get to embrace Winter where you live, that you lean in, get cozy and stay warm.  

Well here I go, back into the world of blogging.  I will be using my blog as a journal to keep my thoughts on painting in one place.  It's been 9 years since I got back into my art and I've done a lot of looking back...and looking forward.  You'll see posts here on my current thoughts and I also want to have a place to house some of my past work and projects.  So you'll see current projects and also past projects...a great way to see how far I've come and for you to maybe catch up on some of my past work.   I haven't veered too far off from my original way of painting so I feel the posts will still feel relevant.  

Today I want to put my thoughts down about how I gather information when painting outdoors.  You'll notice my images toggle back and forth between painting on a panel and painting in a sketchbook.  Below is probably my favorite plein air session ever in all my years of painting outside.  The initial sketch came together using pencil and markers, with some written notes.  The 5 x7 oil sketch came together so easily by using dry brush marks with layers built up very loosely.  From my very first time painting landscapes, I've done a a sketch along with the painting.I

Eventually, I began using homemade Kraft sketchbooks which lent to quicker painting sessions with lots of written notes and color notes. With this method of gathering information, I can paint by holding the sketchbook and using a tiny handmade travel palette with limited colors, brushes, etc.  

I haven't chosen a favorite way of gathering information but I do think about how I can get out more often to paint and what I can do to make the most of that time.  I equally love painting in the sketchbooks and on a panel.  When painting on a panel, I do feel like I set higher expectations of completing a good, finished painting...and that's not my intent now.  I find myself disappointed sometimes if I don't go home with a good painting, whereas in the sketchbooks I don't feel that way,  

Either way now, I find that I am just looking to gathering  information and not come home with a perfect painting.  I want to think like the first Impressionists and just gather those first impressions of how the scene looks and how it makes me feel.  Break it down to the most basic tasks of capturing the composition, color, light, form , values, etc.  

Most times now, I take lots of photos of the initial scene so I can use those photos back in the studio. I never want to copy a photo and I feel I have enough brush miles under my belt now to interpret the scene in more my style. So with a simpler oil sketch and pencil/marker sketch, I get just enough to capture an impression and mood.  

There is something though about painting outside that strengthens your skills even when you paint in the studio.  I feel that if I want to be a representational painter, I need to paint from life to keep those skills sharp. There's nothing that compares to painting from life to capture color, values, composition, mood, etc.  In the image below, there is no way I'd get those wonderful violets and yellows on the tree and snow if I didn't make this quick study outdoors.  

Taking time to gather my supples and going out to sit in nature has so many added benefits.  I'm getting fresh air, unplugging, and I'm using all my senses to hear the birds and water...see the color nuisances...smell the cedars or sweet earth...feel the sun on my shoulders....and to use get the mood of the day.  

I'm there to absorb the entire experience.  Whatever way I choose to gather the information, I always want to remember that feeling of nature and the great outdoors.  I recently found a page from my journals, that documents how I like to do my studies and collect information.  I'll share that soon! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you like to gather information while painting outside.