When it's gray outside, and the wind cuts through the clothes, it's time to paint indoors. On my many hikes into the Mt. Baker National Forest is a hike to Winchester lookout. It is less than 2 miles long and about 1300 feet elevation gain and the rewards are stunning. We hiked this last year during the fall, me carrying my paint gear. I didn't paint this scene then but I knew I would one day. 16x20 oil on canvas. 

Winter brings me indoors searching for compositions and still life opportunities. These sets always provide me with challenges which help me progress in painting. Some of the challenges are how to deal with the background, what do I want the focus point to be, what color combinations to use, placement of objects etc. etc. I wanted my platform to have a shiny surface so right away I drove to the second hand hardware store and found a piece of black granite that was someone's throw away sink. It had broken into the perfect size. I set my objects on that and put up a warm background, then turned on the light. Using transparent red oxide to create the design, I then started adding color. About the same time, it started snowing outside so when it came time to take a break I could look out and see the squirrels and birds foraging for food, and watch the big flakes come down. This work took me 8 hours or so (with interruptions of course). The shine from the oil is still present on the picture but will go away with drying.