The winter that was

(C) 2015 Dale DiMauro

I am truly excited about this painting! For me it has some magical qualities. There are atmospheric affects which go beyond just mixing colors and applying paint to a surface. There are heavy cool shadows in the foreground conveying temperature change and the fading daylight. Yet there are puzzling qualities just beyond the hedge and on the right side, where there is a wall of snow which seems to roll right off the page. Perhaps the real mystery is what is going on behind the house where the light is warm and seductive.

The snow seems to root the house to the earth while the power lines connect it to the larger community. You can feel the weight and temperature of the snow on the hedge. And this is no small hedge! There is a bit of benign neglect, such as the uncleared walk and stoop, which give it a Hopperesque quality.

Throughout the fall and winter I have been deleting elements and simplifying my landscapes in search for stronger compositions and more powerful imagery. Often it is subtle changes in color or the ground plane, a shift in the horizon or eliminating a window in a house etc. The result I think is a stronger regional identity. Maybe not. What do you think?