Original Watercolor Painting, “Plein Air, My View in the Snow, 12.20.22; 2.22.23, 8-9-am”, watercolor and white gouache, 26 x 40”, 2023

This piece began on a snowy morning, my view from my old apartment, December of 2022.  I worked as fast as I could to put in a large wash for the sky and every surface of the paper but the snow-covered foreground roofs, which I left white.  However, as the paper dried, slowly (I think I cranked up the heat in my apartment to try to accelerate the process), the snow was rapidly melting.  I had to wait to paint over the large wash I’d put in, because I had in mind effects for the foreground buildings and other forms that required crisp edges.  I almost took a reference photo, just as I had the previous year for “Plein Air, 2.22.22, Snow”, but held off, thinking, no, I don’t want to work from photos, I’ll just hold out for another snowy morning.  So I put the piece aside, and worked on other paintings, waiting for my snow day round two.  A month went by… and then two… the weather warmed… I wondered if I’d have to wait a full year to work on this piece again… when one Wednesday morning the weather favored me - I awoke to identical conditions as two months earlier!  I was so relieved, and worked as fast as I possibly could to render North Beacon Hill and South Rainier Ave in broad strokes and specific idiosyncrasies.  I really had fun working on this painting - and it remains one of my favorite works from this era.