Sunlight in the Trees – 11 Feb 2011

sunlight in the trees - winter landscape - oil painting - eileen morey

Lately, I’m drawn to the wooded landscape on one side of our home.

During the afternoons, the sunlight gleams through the trees.  Often, it’s almost a pure white light, with just a hint of yellow.

It can be so bright, I have to look away almost immediately.

However, the shadows — especially on a snowy day — are shades of blue and lavender, yellow and orange.

Last Friday afternoon, I decided to see if I could capture this image on canvas.

The painting is an 8″ x 10″ oil landscape on archival canvas board.  The paint is fairly thick, as I painted the trees first and then painted the light over them.  In a way, that’s how the light looks: As if it’s in the foreground and the trees are in back of it.

This is a rich, juicy painting with lots of texture and color.  For me, it captures the intensity of the light and the landscape, and the nuances of subtle color in the snow.