We just had our first snowfall of the winter in Minnesota — only a few inches here in our area that has now melted a bit. Last year there was a fabulous deep snowfall the day before Thanksgiving and a beautiful crisp sunny day for the holiday. I couldn’t resist running out into into it for a photo shoot :) — for most of the day in fact. It was one of those snowfalls with very large flakes — the sunshine caught them like diamonds glittering in the soft shadows and the wind. There was a delicate breeze that would occasionally gust, sending an outburst of flurries that had settled on the smaller branches. In a hike through wooded areas you could hear a cheery serenade by a chorus of chickadees singing to one another, and me I suppose. I would imagine this could easily be looked at as an everyday occurrence, but it was very inspiring for me — even a year after my shoot it seems magical. There were some very striking scenes of light and shadow, one of which I’m painting now. I’ve never shown this piece though it’s been sitting in my studio for a while. I began the sketch and roughly blocked in the scene right after my photo shoot last year, but was unable to progress further with it because of other deadlines. I think the fresh snowfall has put me in the mood to paint something appropriate. It’s hard to paint flowers in the winter or snow in the summer. Anyway, I will post a photo of it a little later. I have also begun a new miniature commission of a bathing mute swan. Right now the sketch has been added to my commissions page. I will be adding images of the painting as it progresses.