Today is another acrylic winter painting ~
A Snowy Bridge, an acrylic painting (5×7) was painted on a gessoed prepared ampersand board, using a limited palette. This painting was great to learn how to paint with flat and liner brushes, and also get a feel for moving paint with a painters knife (used for the foreground snow). The bridge ended up being slightly more dark than how I anticipated it and not as defined, but was satisfied enough to called it a day and appreciate the lessons of this scene.
It was a great scene to experiment and learn how to paint water reflections, a bridge and a thick forest.
A reference image from John Robinson, a photographer from pmp was used for inspiration.
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Oil Pastels by Mary 
This one is just gorgeous Mary, a true winter wonderland!!! 🙂
Thank you Sibella, really appreciate it!
Very welcome! 🙂
Another excellent color palette.
Thanks Elena!
Another gorgeous one. I love the color in the sky and water.
Thank you so much Brenda!
professionally executed, love the detail… a pleasure to look at
You’re so nice Heath, thanks very much – really appreciate your kind words.
Wonderful painting Mary. I like the limited palette.
Thanks Carol – was a fun scene to work out with acrylics.
Hi Mary, This is a wonderful painting. I am pretty sure a snow fairy is hiding behind that bridge. 🙂 I love the limited palette, too. I saw the colors you used in your response to Heidi. I like the color the bridge turned out. I have never used red oxide on my palette. Hmm… Is that how you warmed up the payne’s grey? I will have to try adding red oxide to my mix of payne’s grey and raw umber as I use those two a lot, I always feel like payne’s grey is a really strong color and have learned over the last year that a little goes a long way when I’m mixing it with other colors. Do you feel the same?
Hi Janell, thanks very much – you are so right, that fairy is hanging around!! A long time ago I read on another artist blog that she uses transparent red oxide for underpaintings if she wants to warm up a scene. So I thought why not try some of it within the scene – in this case a little does go a long ways. There is another one in the reddish brown family that I love, vandyke brown – again a little goes a long ways. Both great colors. I use payne gray alot when painting seascapes w/acrylics because of its bluish-gray hue (I was used to that with oil pastels, Mungyo-Gallery cool grays) so it worked for what I was looking for with the background in this scene, as well as I grayed areas of the bridge and the ice on the river. Hope this helps, don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions. It was a fun scene to paint.
This reminds me of an old masterpiece type of painting. Love it!
Such a compliment Elizabeth, thank you for your generous feedback – much appreciated!
Mary, this is so beautiful and peaceful looking! I love the reflection. Just amazing. 🙂
Thank you so much Patsy, great to hear from you – really appreciate it!
It’s a lovely scene, Mary. You did really well on the reflections and I love your limited palette. It looks very realistic for a snowy landscape. Do you want to share what was on your palette this day?
Hi Heidi, thank you very much, the water was my favorite part to do in the painting. For the background sky and snow I used white/yellow ochre/cad yellow light, for the water the colors I mentioned as well as raw umber/payne’s gray/red oxide, and for the bridge/trees and shrubs a combination of the colors mentioned. I hope that this makes sense.
If I painted the scene again, I would paint the bridge with more grayish tones and not quite as dark as it turned out in this painting. I have a rather flat gray that I probably should have used for the underpainting with the bridge. Still learning to mix colors.
Flurries of snow got here this morning, Mary. Very pretty but not as pretty as your bridge. This is lovely 🙂
Hi Jo, snow has finally arrived where you are – the first snow is always pretty and enchanting. Thank you for your nice comment on this painting, means a lot. Have a wonderful weekend.
Beautifully done 💕
Thank you!!
Wow, Mary! Your works are fantastic! Your portfolio is precious!
Thank you my friend for your generous comments!
Our pleasure! And thanks so much for your lovely paintings! Take care, Mary! 🙂
Have a good weekend Fabio!
🙂
Absolutely beautiful, Mary! Kudos a super successful experiment, my talented friend. 🙂
Thank you very much Bette for your words of encouragement and compliment – both mean a lot.
This is great painting dear Mary, I loved so much Thank you, love, nia
Thank you so much Nia – really appreciate your thoughtful words.
You achieved a wonderful atmosphere in the painting! It makes me feel chilly! Great!
Thank you so much Alexander – always appreciate your artistic eye and kind comments! Have a lovely weekend.
Very nicely captured. It reminds me of days gone by
Thanks – I like that, nostalgia for yesteryear. I appreciate the compliment, coming from a wonderful artist my friend.
Your art inspires me. I love following your art. I often don’t have time to comment. For that I am ashamed! X
In addition to the ‘like’ button, you need two more – love and WOW. 🙂
So funny! Thanks very much Judy!!
Such a beautiful piece, Mary! I love the brown theme. It complements the white of the snow wonderfully!
Hi Francesca, thank you – I really appreciate reading your reaction to this painting!
nice post as always! what a beautiful painting full of autumn-winter thoughts and mood. Thanks for this piece of winter in your post.
Arlen
Wonderful to see you again Arlen, hope you are well. Thanks very much for your lovely comments, they mean a lot.
Your blog means a lot for me too, dear Mary…
Another beautiful painting Mary! I really like the reflection of the bridge in the water. ~Rita
Thanks Rita, was really feeling my way through this one with acrylics – learned a lot and had fun with the piece. Thanks again!
I don’t recall if I’ve told you this before, but I’m always enchanted by your work! Sorry if I’m being redundant. 🙂
You are too nice Eva!! Thanks very much – I’m always appreciative of your feedback and compliments. Have a great evening.
You’re very welcome! Thank you. The same to you. 🙂 xx
So beautiful, Mary! A perfect scene of the trees, snow, and bridge! 🙂
Thanks so much Amy – this was a stretch, but a great scene to learn from.
Water under the bridge… superb!!!!!
Thanks Pauline – much appreciated!!
This is so lovely, Mary. You really got the reflections so perfectly. Beautiful scene. 🙂
Thanks Sylvia – working on the reflections was like icing on a cake.
🙂
Nice Drawing.
Thank you Shawn!
I love this little winter scene and sweet puffs of white snow❄️
Thank you for your feedback., It was interesting developing this with a palette knife, it gave a bit of texture to develop the snow patterns.
This painting warms my heart. It reminds me of the bridge in Beacon Hill Park where I live. I’m on vacation in Maui where the landscape is lush and beautiful but it’s your painting that makes me think of home. 😊
Maui? Ah those sounds so good – hope you are enjoying your vacation. Thanks very much for your comments. Beacon Hill Park is a wonderful place, I’m glad that the scene reminds you of a place that you are so very familiar with.
A bridge to where? You’ve got me wondering with this one, Mary……somehow I feel hot chocolate waiting for us somewhere nearby……
Ah A! so glad you are wondering – any park with a bridge for your imagination will do. Here are a few: Central Park, Acadia National Park and so on. Thanks so much, you know it really is time for hot chocolate – if it is going to be cold out there might as well be snow.
I have been absent from your blog for a long while. 😦 But it is lovely to be back looking at your work again. The water reflection is gorgeous; looks like the remaining water might ice over at any minute.
So great to see you again Gallivanta – thank you for checking in. Love reading your thoughts about the scene, thank you for your feedback! .
That is absolutely beautiful – the stillness, the muted colours, so well represented
Thank you Derrick, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this piece.
A wonderful picture, reminding me of a bridge in the ancient forest of Wepre, where once a prince was slain and now I walk with my love. No snow yet this year but you can be sure the first white blanket of winter will bear the imprint of our boots, close together.
Paul
Hi Paul, what a lovely piece to write. A bit of nostalgia and romance to the scene – how wonderful. Thank you, Mrs. Beech is a very lucky woman. All the best to you guys ~
This one is absolutely exquisite Mary. Pure perfection in every way!!! Bravo.
Thanks Rhonda – appreciate it!
So lovely, Mary. You have so perfectly captured the color and feel of winter.
Thank you Audrey!
Oh, I LOVE this one Mary! It is perfection.
Thank you Dorann and I LOVE reading your reaction to the painting! Thank you as always – hope you are feeling better.
Wonderful painting Mary as usual. Nice snowy scene. Nice reflection.
Thank you for your lovely feedback and comments!
lovely painting! water is wonderful and also I love how you handled the background so beautifully!
Thank you Debi -I appreciate it very much!
you’re welcome 🙂
Now that’s cool! …It opens an about to be exciting scene in an intriguing story story.
Cool thoughts on this one Resa, the story has the lead in and now only the blanks to be filled in – thanks very much. You must see places like this a lot up in Canada.
Yes, I do. I don’t even have to foray out of the city. I live an overpass across from a park that runs miles along Lake Ontario & several blocks from High Park, which is massive and has a pond that’s as big as a small lake. Both bodies of water are home to swans, and once I even saw a family of black swans.
Thank you!
Gorgeous – sounds like some wonderful areas to be surrounded by. I grew up living along Lake Ontario only on the States side – a small world!
This is a very lovely painting. It very much evokes the atmosphere of a cold winter day in the country. Reminds me a bit of visiting my parents in Fairfield, Connecticut. I posted a link to this on my Facebook page. Please keep up the wonderful work!
Hi Ben, thank you so much for sharing this with others and I’m thrilled that the painting takes you to a pleasant place – Fairfield is a gorgeous area in CT! Thank you for your wonderful comment!
Oh Mary, this is definitely one of my favorites. I love the bridge. The entire scene takes me back to my childhood when we ice skated in the woods. Excellent!
Hi Jill, thanks so much you’ve made my day. It is very special for me when one of my paintings brings back pleasant memories – that’s a bonus!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the scene.
I loved it, Mary! ❤
So clear and the water reflection is perfect. Your gift is very special Mary.
Thanks so much Karen for your beautiful comment and compliment!
Love the new subject of a “bridge” Mary, I don’t recall seeing you paint one ( I might be wrong?).
For some reason feels warm and very romantic to me, even do is a winter scene the atmosphere spells LOVE, like holding hands and crossing the bridge with your loved one while eating roasted chestnuts….
Your water reflection is perfectly executed just as all the other aspects, lovely and delightful winter can be if it is touched by your tools!
Hi Eva, you are right, I’ve not painted a bridge before – this was my first. It’s a bit too dark in value, but I’ll keep that in mind for future painting projects. There is a bit of wintry romance in the setting, the muted and soft feel of atmosphere brings that to mind – really enjoyed your vision for the mood and scene. Thank you, as always I love reading your reaction to my work.
The river is really very nice, and very familiar to me, with its reflections in the center and that floating ice formation on the edges that looks unsafe to walk upon. There’s a nice distinction between the cold snow, the cold ice, the cold water…..
Thank you Cynthia. The river water and ice was a familiar scene to paint, having grown up in the Northeast – I’m so glad it read right to you. Love your description of the ice.
Beautiful….a timeless scene….Janet:)
Thank you Janet!
I like this one too Mary. Who would have thought I could appreciate wintery scenes?? 🙂
So funny – love it Susan. Thank you and have a beautiful evening!
That is really gorgeous, I love the story it tells.
Thank you Charlie – I’m glad you enjoyed the scene! Have a lovely evening.
This is so lovely! I can almost feel the cold. I think the reflection turned out amazing! 🙂
Hi Sofie, thank you very much!
Raw and earthy with smooth glacier-like water. Love it, I can feelnthe cold
You made my day Authority! Awesome way to describe the watery winter scene – thank you!
wonderful…. greeting 🙂 Lis
Hi Lis, thanks very much!!
🙂 ❤ 🙂
Another beautiful wintry scene, Mary. Your painting captures the reflections of everything around the bridge in the water so well.
Thanks so much Geralyn – love your thoughts on this piece.