Aylestone Meadows in the snow

We've had heavy snow here - well for England it was heavy. It was a foot deep in the countryside yesterday.

Unfortunately, the one day it was really beautiful, deep, powdery and unspoilt - I was teaching all day.

Today it has thawed quite a bit and along the paths and roads is a dirty sludgy mess.

Ithought I'd go out to the meadows with my camera. Though I hate working from photos I'm going to have to if I want to do any snow scenes as

working outside in this weather doesn't suit my arthritis.

I'll just have to remember the colour that was there, subtle and muted and greyed. Then take the knowledge I gained sketching plein air there and try to build this knowledge into the work.

The canal and pools in the water meadows were frozen in places. Reflections were often muted and greyed like the sky.

In the cold light things were silhouetted with little detail.

I have to do some pastels for an upcoming show and I'm thinking of working from the sketches of the pollarded willows in the golden sunlight and now in this icy light.

I need 3 and thought it might be good to link it with the waterways project. They would be much larger drawings/paintings.

A good idea?




































Comments

daviddrawsandpaints said…
To counteract all those muted greys I suggest you get yourself a...sledge!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8046408@N04/3248601466/

And if you were very nice you might send me some more snow as ours is lookin' gey thin atm :o)
7:21 pm
dinahmow said…
People who moan that winter's light is no good for painting should look at that swan!
Personally, I think the muted lights of grey days are a damn' good training. See Turner.
9:51 pm
vivien said…
great hat!!!!

our snow has gone thin and dirty and icy too :>( it was beautiful yesterday - clean and deep and powdery.

In the words of your bard 'like the snow falls on the river, a moment there then gone forever'

or gone to mud :>(


Dinah I agree, I love the winter light to paint - sometimes subtle and muted and other times dramatic - and mist too, difficult but fabulous.
11:13 pm
Jeanette Jobson said…
Winter light is so different. All the cool shades come out with little bright specks of colour now and then hidden almost.

Your photos are wonderful and show a new side of the willows and river.
1:38 am
Anita said…
Super photos! I really like the one with the bridge and the lovely water refelctions.
2:51 am
vivien said…
thanks Jeanette and Anita :>) the light is very different I agree and fascinating
4:44 pm
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