It's that time of year again for the mountain streams to begin to freeze over and hide the wonderful sounds they make as they wind down the mountain side.
I'm having fun painting a few Christmas images to get me in the Christmas spirit. This little painting had that effect on me and I hope it inspires the spirit in you! John K. Harrell Fine Art
I was asked to do a few more Christmas images. So, I have tried to paint images that evoke a favorite Christmas memory for me. I remember being on a horse driven sleigh ride through the mountains of Durango Colorado when I was about eight years old. I still remember it like it was yesterday. The horse's breathing and the sounds of the sleigh bells and the smell of smoke promising a warm fire and hot chocolate when the ride was over.
Winter and an early evening seem to be a constant in our world, so I thought painting a snowy night scene seemed appropriate. This is in down town Denver on the 16th Street mall with all its wonderful night life. I was attracted to all the lights in the trees and how everything was blanketed with a fresh layer of the fluffy white stuff. John K. Harrell Fine Art
I'm particularly excited by the challenge of capturing a mood in the landscape. On this day it was snowing, but it hadn't started sticking to the ground yet, so I had good reflections to work with. Between the low clouds and the slushy snow fall I had a lot of atmosphere to choose from. I'm pleased with the result of today's painting effort. John K. Harrell Fine Art