Swamp in Winter

After weeks and weeks of painting still lifes, I was itching to get back to landscapes. But it is cold — and snowy! Did I really want to go out in it and paint? No! I just haven’t acclimated to it yet. When I finally finished painting the last edge of the last still life, I grabbed a coffee and sat in a rocking chair in my studio, browsing through a book on the paintings of Swedish artist Bruno Liljefors. That did it! I’d been eyeing my swamp for weeks, thinking this view was unpaintable. But Liljefors inspired me to be brave and just DO it! So I set up a little easel in front of the window and painted away.

Here’s what I was looking at:

And here’s my setup. Just call me lazy.

It was heavenly — getting to paint a winter scene from the comfort of a rocking chair inside a warm studio, listening to classical music! And — getting to enjoy the company of my dear cats. Here’s Mr. Wonderful: