Snow in the Mountains

"Long Winter Shadows" 18" x 21" $650 Framed

Over Christmas break, we visited friends in the Methow Valley. We did some cross-country skiing and enjoyed some incredible views.

So often, artists paint mountains as pretty pictures seen from a safe distance. The impressive thing about mountains is how very BIG they are and how small we become when we are near them. When I paint mountains, I want, more than anything, to show how grand they really are! This is a relatively small foothill in the Cascades, but the nearby houses are dwarfed by the scale of this great hill.

The thing that impressed me most about this scene was the incredibly long shadows. They rake across the entire hillside. Even the rocks are casting long shadows. The foreground is already in complete shade and we know the precious winter light won't last long.

To see another painting I did of the Methow Valley in winter click here.