PAINTING SNOW & ICE AND MORE...

For some of us, the latter months of the year mean SNOW &  ICE scenes, which are super to paint provided you are not standing in it for too long.

So, short blog this week...just a word or two of advice.  If you decide to go outdoors to paint snow, then the most important bit of kit you can have is WATERPROOF BOOTS WITH THICK SOLES.  The cold creeps up your legs from the ground, and no matter how many layers you may be wearing, if your feet get frozen solid, your legs will quickly follow and you will feel horrible.  Do not attempt to go out into the snow, to stand for lengths of time, wearing simple rubber waterproof boots.  It wont be more than a few minutes before you will be numb and frozen.

Next bit of advice........although snow and ice may be white, try to find alternative colours to use.  Blues, purples, pinks, apricots - they can all be found in snow scenes.  Particularly when the sun shines.  The sunshine will PAINT the snow with shades of gold and pink and orange.........and the shadows will be blues and lavendars and purples.  Can't see this?  Take a white sheet of paper or card out with you, and hold it up so that you can see the snow or ice, and see the white paper, and see how the colours change according to the prevailing light.  You may have seen this before, but just to make the point that you need use very little actual WHITE:

Finally, I am going to close today with a couple of little offerings, you may want to treat yourself to for Christmas.  the first is one of my enamel on copper bowls.  I feel it looks rather festive!  It is 4" in diameter, and 2" high, with sprinkling of Christmas-y colour inside nestling in the brilliant red enamel at the base, with bright orange around the top rim.  The outside is kind snow or ice-like, a beautiful limpid pale icy blue which seems to hover on the surface, with subtle mottling just like ice on a pond.  Enamel is marvellous;  you can wash it, put candles in it without fear of burning the enamel, it will never lose its shine and colour.  This bowl would look fab with gold-coloured wrapped chocs in it, on your Christmas table:

The price of the bowl is £25 plus postage at cost.  ($39)   If you would like it, I need to know where you live, to work out the postage.  It is a unique piece, you will never see another like it, as no two bowls I make are the same.

Also, I am offering this image of ATHABASCA FALLS in Canada, anyone who has been to Banff will recognise them.  The painting is 15x10.5", pastel on Canson Mi Teinte Touch card, which is firm enough to send out unframed, you will be able to frame it with something of your own choice.  Unframed means I can offer it at a really good price - only $130.  I am showing it quite large so you can see it best:

Finally, here is one I have decided to call "Snow Veils" .  It is mixed media, with "veils" of Japanese papers with gold threads, and acrylic on card.  It is framed right now, so I am showing it framed, and can send it framed for $100 but it can be sent out in just its mount ready for you to frame.  The image is 6"x6" (framed it is  11x11")  -unframed  $75 plus postage.

If I do not manage another blog post before Christmas day is upon us - it is coming up fast, isn't it! - I hope you all have the most marvellous, happy, fun time.  Despite all good intentions, Christmas can be stressful - keep taking deep breaths and don't let anyone or anything get you down!  Just keep smiling!

jackiesdesk@gmail.com