Winter In Gyllbergen

Winter In Gyllbergen by Martin Howard (2005)
Watercolour, 40.6 x 30.5 cm, 140 lb Fine grain paper.
Gyllbergen Nature Reserve, Borlänge, Sweden.

Gyllbergen is the largest nature reserve where I live in Borlänge, Sweden. I haven't been there for several years, but I can't forget the breathtaking beauty of Gyllbergen in the winter. I went cross country skiing there when I was quite new to Sweden and I had never seen anything like it before. It is mostly pine forest with lots of open spaces too. There are ski paths to follow or you can just go your own way. It is incredibly scenic, peaceful and with wonderful fresh air. On at least one occasion when I was there, it was a bright sunny day, much like in this painting. I did this painting from photo which I borrowed. It was a challenge for me, having never painted a snowy landscape before. Also there were people in the photo which were the main subject. When I took them out, there wasn't much left to paint. When I had finished the painting, I was so pleased with the result. It is one of those paintings that I look at and wonder, did I do that?

Autumn By The River

Autumn By The River by Martin Howard (2005)
Watercolour, 30.5 x 40.6 cm, 140 lb Fine grain paper.
Dalälven, Gammelgården, Borlänge

This painting, Autumn By The River, was one of the first that I did after moving to the town of Borlange in Sweden. The river here is the Dal River or as it is known in Swedish, Dalalven (pronounced darl elven). The river originates in Norway and runs through central Sweden and out into the Baltic Sea. At this particular spot, there is a nearby road bridge over the river and just out of sight, upstream, is a hydro-electric power station. The power station, as well as providing electricity for the town, provides another crossing point over the river and makes the area between the two river crossings, a very popular circular walk. The river has well-kept pathways on both banks and is lined by a mixture of deciduous trees, which in the autumn, make a beautiful display, doubled up by some marvellous reflections. On this day, the river appeared almost still and with the sunny, clear blue sky, gave me the perfect opportunity to capture some of those reflections. I even managed to put in a birch tree, one of my favourite trees, which look good all year round, but particularly during the autumn.

Ski Tracks

Ski Tracks by Martin Howard (2005)
Watercolour, 27 x 36 cm, 140 lb Heavy grain paper.
Gyllbergen Nature Reserve, Borlänge, Sweden

Coming from England, I had been used to cold dark winters. There was never really much to do except stay at home. It came as a big surprise to me when I moved to Sweden, that even though the temperature is maybe 20 to 30 degrees colder at times, people go into the countryside for a day out. They even take a picnic and cook hot dogs! It's a whole different world and what makes the difference is the snow. Firstly, it enables one to travel easily by cross country skiing. Secondly, the snow brightens up everything and on a clear day, the blue sky reflects off the snow, creating the most wonderful views. It's so peaceful too! This painting shows ski tracks in a local nature reserve, but it could be anywhere in Sweden. I hope it gives some idea of the beauty of Sweden in the winter and explains why people don't stay at home.  

About This Blog

I am an English artist, living in Borlänge, Sweden. I am no Anders Zorn (although I wouldn't mind some of his women). Whatever, I would still like people to be able to see my work and especially those who are from Borlänge and will be able to identify some of the scenes that feature in my landscape paintings. So although I paint other subjects, this blog will have only Borlänge landscapes together with a little description. 
These and my other paintings can be found to view or buy on the following websites:

http://1-martin-howard.artistwebsites.com (USA)

http://photo4me.com/ArtOfMart (UK)

Jag är en engelsk konstnär som bor i Borlänge, Sverige. Jag är ingen Anders Zorn (även om jag skulle har inget emot att har några av hans kvinnor). Oavsett, jag skulle fortfarande vilja att folk ska kunna se mitt konst och särsklit för dem som är från Borlänge och kommer att kunna identifiera några av de scener som finns i mina landskap målningar. Så fast jag måla andra ämnen, detta bloggen kommer at ha endast Borlänge landskap tillsammans med en liten beskrivning.
Dessa och mina övriga målningar kan hittas för att titta på eller köpa på följande webbplatser:

http://1-martin-howard.artistwebsites.com (USA)

http://photo4me.com/ArtOfMart (UK)