Old growth & new snow

(C) 2016 Dale DiMauro

On a recent walk through a local corn field, I happened upon this patch of a former season, peaking through the snow cover. These tangled grasses remind me of Albrecht Dürer's "Large Piece of Turf" although shrunken under the weight of winter. The snow cover here in southern Vermont, has been thin all winter as such, with some earth poking throughout.

I like the idea of focusing on one area of the paper and leaving the rest pretty much void. This picture was painted with ochres, sienna's and umbers, all earth colors. However, I did use some ultramarine around the grass to give the snow some dimension. 

The challenge was zooming in on the clump of grass and defining the various forms of growth without becoming absorbed in every little blade of grass. I admit it probably is an odd little picture.