I wake up pretty early. Erika and Isabelle were asleep. Looked out the window - it was starting to snow. I rolled my eyes. Sent out a group email to all the artists on my list… not really expecting anyone to show.

The bike ride was a distance from home, and it was a real work out just to get there.

Once I arrived there - Wow. Everything was incredible. Every direction, every tree, the dissolving sky. Fuck me… it was spectacular. I will be going down there again when it is snowing with a few canvases.

Last winter I only went out painting under clear skies. The snow is frozen water that is sand like and creates many problems when painting outside.

So it was time to paint. Somehow it did not matter if this painting did not work. I had biked a considerable distance and something was going to be painted.

close up of the painitng (not finished) - photo taken while on location

please notice the snow flakes on the painting

The snow was suicide dive bombing on my canvas. My mixing medium had snow flakes in it. My palette was getting covered with snow. My paint brushes had mopped up considerable amounts of paint and snow all messed together.

With so much snow on my brush and mixing it into my paint - detail was not entertainable. Too be honest I did not know if I was pissing around and the painting would be a complete waste… with the possibility of only returning to the studio with a palette knife and destroy it.

But I was loving the snow blowing and being in nature. With the snow really collecting on my palette and heavy amounts on my canvas I was pushing around loads of shit. I had to work fast and carefree.

I wanted to experiment to see what I could create under such conditions. I have found the studio to be very isolating. So being outside is refreshing. The birds sing and the birds talk when the wind blows.

The challenge of painting under such conditions adds something to the equation. I find to be very exciting. In my heart I would have liked to put the painting in a freezer box frame. So that the painting could be shared in the conditions it was created under. With the snow mixed into the paint.

close up of the palette and brushes while painting

The bike ride home. I decided to take it slow. To walk when my bike was heavy. I follow the river up stream.

Back in the studio I turned the heater on and put the painting on the top of it. Nervously I watched the snow melt. Snow turned to water, and it was dripped down.

I only added my name in the bottom left corner - the painting was left as it was completed on location.

Poem: Falling (November 15th, 2005) - written about the above painting.

wake up early
everyone is sleeping
bike down to the river
assemble my easel
put paint on my palette
birds chirping
wind breathing
trees talking
snow falling
organic frozen particles
falling from the dissolving
sky land on my palette and canvas
snow melts on my pink skin
the river flows in my veins
my soul flies like a bird in the sky
dreams gently fall in my mind
pure white dreams.

Part of a letter I wrote to my Mother;

I was so happy about completing this particular work. It was a real break through for me. I really felt apart of the wind, snow and world around me. I felt connected to the river, trees, snow melting on my face.
I am very excited and very much look forward to painting down there as soon as I can get out with my palette and brushes. I am hoping the snow melts and snows again.. .so that I can capture the grass and snow falling. The green filtering through.
The winter is coming hard and fast. I am sad to see the Fall disappear. But he snow is blowing and it is great to embrace the particles of frozen water floating, organic, substances blowing, falling from the dissolving sky. It is a dream.