Winter Impressions in Pastel

'Winter Peace'            9x12            pastel          ©Karen Margulis

Today is Christmas and I am up in the mountains with family hoping for a dusting of snow.  I would love some new snow reference photos.  I enjoy painting the winter landscape.  One reason is that a snow covered landscape can simplify a complicated scene.  It is easier to paint a looser more impressionistic landscape when it is already simplified.

There are a few tricks for painting snow which I will share in upcoming posts but for today I will share with you one of my personal favorite winter paintings. I painted this last year on my home made pastel surface. I was struggling with the texture of the paper when I decided to just blend it all and start over.  I liked the soft blended effect so I left it.  I would like to do more of these simple landscapes in the coming year.