"Blizzard" -- plein air field study -- oil on birch panel -- 11x14" -- Margie Guyot

We're right in the middle of a major blizzard today that's said to last until tomorrow morning. Really pretty out. I was itching to paint something, so I set up my easel under the porch overhang and painted this view to the south. That's a big white pine and the spikey things to the right are the dead stalks of mullen. I liked how the snow makes the flower stalks bend. I've included some in the foreground in this painting.

It was surprising how much "putty" color and gray I needed to add to the white to make the snow colors.

Even though I was under the overhang, snow still got into my palette. It's next to impossible to paint when it's snowing. When it gets into your paint it just makes a big mess.

I suppose I should just go do housework this afternoon!