Ladscape painting

The assignment was to paint a landscape that had some sort of emotion or meaning behind it which was not just "nature is amazingly beautiful and grand." So I decided to paint what early morning road trips are like in Minnesota. There are always rows and rows of pine trees silhouetted against the sky, and I always liked that image. Plus I think I really wanted to go back home, so this was kind of a homesick painting as well.

Early Travel Oil on canvas, 28" x 36" September 2009

And here's detail to show my brushwork:

 I am really fond of painterly brushstrokes. I just really love the way the medium of oil paints works. This is however a little more brushy than I normally do.

So here's a secret: this painting started off just being about nearly morning in fall or spring. You see those light spot? Those were meant to be sunlight, not snow. But it looks so much like snow, and everyone thinks its snow, that this painting is now about early morning in the winter.

I am fairly convinced that other people know what my art is about better than I do.