Cold and blustery, that’s the atmosphere I wanted to create. A day when some of you prefer to stay indoors where it’s nice and warm, but if you are the adventurer type – you grab your snow shoes and have a ball managing through the thick drifts of snow. Whatever your preference, get ready the white stuff is coming . . .
Snowy Day, an oil pastel (7×5) painted on cream tinted Mi-Tientes pastel paper using Senneliers and Mungyo-Gallery brand oil pastels. My vision for the painting was a blustery day so I went to work first painting the basic elements with a limited palette of several blues and raw umber, a firm clay shaper was used to create bare tree branches, layered snow-filled branches were done with a palette knife, and finally to create the wind/snowing effect a razor was used by swiping and scraping in a few strategic places.
Oh yeah, winter is knocking at the door! Click onto the image for a larger view of details.
A reference image taken by Aubrey Campbell of pmp was used as the basis for this painting.
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Oil Pastels by Mary 
Love this, Mary. I can feel the winds whipping through the scene!
Thanks so much Elena, exactly what I was hoping to portray.
Very nice. I like the way you’ve captured the movement of snow and wind. Even though snow looks like a nice experience, I think I prefer the warmer climate ☺️
Thank you! Oh I can understand, I rather the warmer climate myself – but it was fun making it blustery and not have to walk through the snow.
Very true ☺️
Such soft colors. The tree looks very lifelike. Wonderful.
Thanks Elizabeth!
Mary, such lovely work, breathtaking!
Thank you Holly!
It was 36 degrees in Sydney. Your lovely picture captures what must be absolutely freezing! Shaper and razer? Interesting things to use to work into your oil pastel – I like it.
36 is a little chilly! Thanks very much for your thoughts. If you paint with oil pastels both a firm-tipped clay shaper and razor make for some great textures and patterns.
Oops I meant 36 deg celsius (96.8 farenheight). I use old credit cards to scrape off pastel. I like the variety of textures you achieve in your work,
Ha, I get it!! Credit card is a great tool too. Thanks for noticing the textures – that’s one of the reasons why I like oil pastels.
Love the wintry blue.
Hello my friend. Thanks very much, I was actually trying for an all blue scene, but didn’t quite make it. Hello to Princess Ariel ~
Ah this is brilliant Marylove the contrasting tree shapes ! my first fleeting impression was almost the thought this snowy laden fir was trying to slip off somewhere else 😉 It’s really blowing like billy-o outside here but no snow forecast ….
Thank you so much Poppy for your awesome thoughts and description. Reading below other comments, it seems that the white stuff is trying to make an early showing – it won’t be long now. I think right about then I need to switch to something like “still life” paintings ~ yes, that might be the plan!! Hope you are having a lovely week.
The best of winter — it looks like a snow day with sledding and hot chocolate. 🙂
Love, love, love your description Brenda! Yes, that is it – we need a cup of hot chocolate and a couple of kids sledding the perfect winter scene!!
😀 I’m glad you agree. It looked like what I see when I look out my window on a snow day. 🙂
Days like that will be before we know it … interestingly, I saw my first white stuff this weekend in our trip to Cleveland.
Hi Frank, thanks very much. Okay I can’t believe that you guys saw the white stuff – means the season is upon us!! Have a good one ~
Sorry to say, we did! … but in Cleveland … however, we may see some flakes within the next 5-7 days. YUK!
Nice one Mary! It’s a scene that I know is right around the corner here…. not much time for autumn to be on stage! ~Rita
Thanks Rita! I know you love painting snow scenes, so here is hoping for many beautiful snow-filled days ahead (as long as it doesn’t last too long!) ~
A lovely festive painting.
Thanks so much Fiona!
You succeeded Mary!! It certainly looks cold and blustery. The white stuff has been here once already and we are bracing for more. Thankfully the first round was short lived. 🙂
Thanks Susan! Yep “cold and blustery,” so the white stuff is really on its way? Hope you guys don’t have a bad of a season as last year ~ I’m wishing for warm and sunny winter days!
Now wouldn’t that be lovely!! Same to you. 🙂
This is beautiful Mary. You have captured the quiet stillness of a crisp snowy morning. Love it!
Thank you Rhonda – I really appreciate how you have described the scene.
Incredibly serene, Mary! Have you a painting of Paris? I would love to reblog it 🙂
Thank you Patrick! Haven’t painted Paris before, perhaps one day I’ll try.
Ohhhh, even a painting of those cold winters winds and I shiver!
Ha A! Get the fireplace stoked up – it’s cold outside!
Oh I really love this. Cool and breezy and sweet blue..feels like Xmas ☺️
Thank you very much – love your description!
This is beautiful Mary.
Thank you Nicodemas!
Mary, your painting makes me think of walks in the snow when it feels like I’m the only one in the world. It’s so quiet and peaceful. Those days will be here soon.
Yes, that is it! It’s that all so quiet world in winter’s wonderland. Thank you Geralyn – afraid those days will be here very, very soon, hope you have your fire place ready to go.
This looks like one of the best sort of winter days – crisp but not too cold, with the right amount of snow for trekking on snowshoes or in your Sorrels. The kind of winter day that makes you glad to be alive. 🙂
Sort of wakes up your senses, right? Thank you as always!
Hey Mary – Nicely done painting! Think you achieved the “feeling” you were after. Cold and blustery. Grew up in Buffalo so I know cold and blustery. Only thing missing on the evergreen is the top few boughs bending in the wind coming off Lake Erie : ) – Tom
Hi Tom, thank you very much. Buffalo! Oh yes, then you really know snow and cold!! I grew up along Lake Ontario and felt the same cold, blustery winter days – something about the weather that comes down from Canada – burrrr!
Snow appears to be your element very much so just like water. Your limited palette and the technique used to convey the wind and blowing snow lends the perfect atmosphere to this winter scene to a point where I can feel the breath of winter. Really beautiful work Mary!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
Thank you so much Eva – I’m glad it read the way I intended, love your words “can feel the breath of winter.” The tools that I use with oil pastels can create the most interesting effects. I have a long ways to go with painting white and certain thick snow scenes, but it has been a really enjoyable learning process. Hope your Sunday was a good one ~
Beautiful winter painting, Mary!
Thank you Amy!!
You’ve created it perfectly, Mary…. it looks like the harbinger of Christmas… 🙂
Thank you so much Maniparna – appreciate it!
Beautiful, Mary! That would make a great greeting card.
Thanks so much Jill – appreciate your thoughts on this painting!! Have a great week editing!!
It is so very beautiful…We had our first snows in the mountains this past evening.
Thank you so much Charlie – seems too soon for snow, doesn’t it? But I’m glad you enjoyed this scene. Have a great week ahead.
Beautiful. Copies would make a beautiful holiday card. 🙂
Thank you Judy!! I’m working through the scenes to select the one for our Christmas card, appreciate your generous feedback!
Lovely work!
Thank you so much!!
Welcome!
Very well done, Mary! It’s prettier than the photo would be. There is a nostalgic romance to your expression of snow, and I quite love it.
Thanks Resa – I like your read on the white stuff “a nostalgic romance.” You know how to make me smile!!
Brrr, freezing cold! Your painting is very realistic, I especially enjoy the limited palette. A day like that you don’t perceive a lot of color.
Thank you Heidi!
It’s cooled down only a couple of degrees here in Florida, but looking at your painting made me feel quite chilly. It’s really beautiful, but I think I’d rather stay indoors on such a day.
Thank you Sylvia. I’m with you – I’ll stay indoors and just enjoy the view.
You do so well with snow, Mary, capturing the essence of the prevailing weather
Thank you Derrick – soon enough I’ll be onto another subject and leave all the snow making to Mother Nature. A beautiful Sunday to you and Jackie!
Great capture on canvas. I can feel the cold…
Thank you Renee – appreciate it!
You are wonderful at creating snow, Mary. (If the ski slopes don’t get enough this winter, they could hire you to make it!) I especially like the two trees in this one, the pairing of an evergreen with one that has completely lost its leaves. It makes me ponder….about time, winter, what changes, and what stays the same…..
Thanks so much Cynthia – plane reservations have been made, I’ll be in Maine to help out with the snow! The simplicity in the scene and those two trees is what caught my attention to paint this. Your thoughts are so perfect about time . . . thank you my friend. Have a beautiful day!
Bbbrrrr, you caught the blustery well, Mary. Very beautiful. 🙂
Thank you Jet, always appreciate your visits and comment. Have a beautiful week ahead.
Well you have certainly caught the atmosphere you were working to get….it looks very cold and wintery….we are still experiencing unusually mild weather in London….Excellent. Janet.
Thank you Janet – something symbolic of the winter to come. Thank you and hope you are enjoying your Sunday.