Breakfast

One of the challenges of painting a scene that is almost front lit, is managing the thread of dark that weaves through and convinces you of the brightness of the day. I created this piece using plein air studies and a rather horrible photo taken on a gray day in Wisconsin. The farm was probably a mile away down a very long drive, but I knew there were good bones to the shapes of the buildings. Using warm colors in the "hidden" house, silos, and other out buildings, allowed me a great expanse of relatively cool colors in the snow without having to resort to pure white anywhere.