Last Winter Sunset Snow Scene

Last Winter Sunset Snow Scene by Martin Howard (2014)
Watercolour, 30.5 x 40.6 cm, 140 lb fine grain paper.
Bergebo, Borlänge, Sweden.

After a winter of painting snow scenes, you can take the title of this painting two ways. It could mean a sunset snow scene from last winter or could mean this is the last winter sunset snow scene that I intend painting. Well at least from this particular winter. I'm sure by the time the snow starts to fall again, I will be wanting paint snow scenes again. At the start of the winter, I had planned to get some photographs of sunsets reflecting on snow. It was not easy and it usually meant being in the right place at the right time. All the photos I did end up getting were by chance. This painting shows the road leading down from the local skiing area towards the hospital. This tree had a heavy coating of snow and looked quite pretty with the late afternoon orange glow of the sun, lighting up it's branches.

Two Birches

Two Birches by Martin Howard (2016)
Watercolour, 30.5 x 40.6cm, 140 lb Fine grain paper.
Bysjörundan, Kvarnsveden, Borlänge.

A scenic landscape view of a lake with a birch  tree on either side. This is Bysjörundan nature reserve in Kvarnsveden, an area of Borlänge in the county of Dalarna, Sweden. There is a path around the lake which can be walked or cycled. I painted this impressionist watercolour, hoping to capture the beauty of this wonderful sunny day with the bright blue sky and just a few clouds, beautifully reflected in the still water of the lake. There's an old fence at the edge of the lake which gave a nice reflection in the reeds, making an idyllic scene. It was so peaceful there and nobody in sight. Summer in Scandinavia is short but sweet and the best time to hop on a bike, cycle into the countryside and enjoy some beautiful scenery! 

Early Winter Riverside

Early Winter Riverside by Martin Howard (2013)
Watercolour, 40.6 x 30.5 cm, 140 lb Fine grain paper.
Domnarvet, Borlänge.

You might wonder if the ‘early’ in the title refers to the time of day or the time of season. It was a few weeks into the Swedish winter and in most years, there would have come snow by then, but this year (2013) was unusually mild. The time of day is about 9.00 am, which I don’t consider to be early. That’s one benefit of the winter in that one doesn't need to get up so early to see the sunrise. It’s still not easy to see though, coming at a different time each day and also being dependant on a clear or partially clear sky. Sometimes the most spectacular skies can come before the sun shows itself or it might be after. It all depends on the cloud formations. On this day, I was walking quickly along the river, trying to capture the sunrise in so many spots as I could. I loved this view, with the sun peering out from behind the chimneys of the steel works in Domnarvet, Borlänge.