“Whistler Snow” captures a familiar and favourite scene, one I pass by regularly on my walks from our log cabin near Whistler, BC. It’s a view that, for me, embodies the quintessential beauty of a winter's day in the wilderness.

Though this painting was created in the studio, its approach is rooted in the spirit of plein air. My goal was to translate the ephemeral qualities of outdoor light onto the canvas. I wanted the piece to express the freshness and urgency I experience when painting directly from nature.  (When painting outdoors, the challenge is chasing the fleeting light.)  I hoped the viewer would feel the chill in the air and the brilliance of the light, just as I do on my walks.

The scene depicts a snowy clearing, with a few small, red alder seedlings in the foreground still clinging to their shrivelled leaves – a late fall snapshot after one of the season's first snowfalls. Dominating the background are the massive trunks and branches of two old, tall black cottonwood trees, with snow still clinging to some of their branches. It was a clear and sunny day, with a vibrant sky of cobalt and cerulean blues.

Using a previously toned canvas, I began by establishing the sunlit areas and their corresponding shadows. Then I defined the trees casting those shadows, playfully bouncing the light back and forth amongst them. This approach was all about movement and energetic brushwork. I constantly squinted to simplify what I saw, making it easier to focus on values, edges, and the overall composition. For the snow itself, I discovered that Paynes Grey, mixed with white, created a beautiful blue for the snow shadows, with King’s Blue and King’s Blue Light adding vibrant highlights to the reflected light areas, especially on the foreground mound. Indian Red mixed with white also provided lovely pinky-peach accents in the shadow areas. Throughout the process, I focused on angles and continuous movement, allowing the brushwork to flow freely and dynamically.

The result is a painting that, while completed indoors, vibrates with the immediacy and richness of an outdoor study. "Whistler Snow" invites you to get out and enjoy the magic of snow!