SNOW DAY - CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY OF SNOW

Blizzard Hercules hit the East Coast last night and today with howling winds and bitter cold. 

I have to admit that I love snow, at least while it is falling and covering everything in a blanket of white.  It muffles the traffic and transforms the city into a beautiful and romantic wonderland.

To celebrate the first snow storm of 2014, here are snow inspired paintings, from Peter Brueghel to Camille Pissarro. Do you have a favorite?  

As 2014 unfolds, follow along. Join my mailing list for the latest artwork, projects and special promotions (enter your email in the space to the right of this column). Cheers!

"The Hunters in the Snow", Peter Brueghel the Elder, 1565 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

"Winter Cardinals" Andrée Ruellan (1905-2006)

        "Road to Versailles at Louveciennes" (Snow Effect) Camille Pissarro,1869

"Night Snow at Kamara", Utagawa Hiroshige, 1833

What's on the Easel?

"Lone Tree" by Barbara J. Hart, 24" x 24"

oil/collage on canvas

Here’s the painting on my easel this week.  A walk through a Pennsylvania meadow inspired this painting/collage.  I love to study trees, don’t you?  I’m inspired by how they exist in the landscape.  The power in the form of a tree with branches reaching out in various directions encloses you and at the same time is open.  I’m investigating landscape and how it implies a distant space and at the same time restricting the tree to a square or rectangle.  In my attempt to observe trees I also investigate painting as a process and my relationship to the landscape.    

RELAX ALONG SIDE A NYC WATER TOWER

Pillow made from my painting of NYC water tower

I recently found an on-line source for designing and printing fabric.  I thought it would be a fun to see what one of my paintings looked like as a pillow. What do you think?

Three Cups

                              Three Cup, oil on board, 24" x 30" - Barbara J. Hart

I'm back in the studio and it feels good!  I've been attempting to grab more time in the studio whether it is at 6:00 AM or at 10:30 PM.  I'm finding that even a half hour here and there is better than nothing.  I work a full-time job that takes a whole lot of energy, and many times by the end of the week I'm not really sure what Art is anymore! I'm exhausted and feel disconnected from my creative self. And, I'm not alone, so many of my artist friends struggle with the same issues. 

This past year I've been working to create schedules for myself.  I have a schedule for studio time, a schedule for marketing my work and last but not least (although the toughest for me), a schedule to post to my blog. In addition to my little snippets of time during the week I save the serious time (4-5 hours) for Saturday and Sunday.  Let's see how it works!