Early Snow in the Woods

Some parts of the nation have seen rather early snowfall and frosty autumn days more appropriate to the middle of winter. While it's been cold and gloomy here in central Maryland, we have thankfully been spared any early season snow. In this scene we can go for a walk in the woods as a light coating of snow dusts the brown leaves still clinging to the trees. I hope this winter is milder than the last one.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Bodkin Creek in Fall

Bodkin Creek is a small stream that flows through parts of Downs Memorial Park and then into the Chesapeake Bay. It barely gets a mention on a map, and you'd have to know where to look for it, but like all rivers and streams it's full of life and beautiful, particularly in the fall. Here we see the creek on a late autumn afternoon in Downs Memorial Park. The low sun casts long shadows and only illuminates the tops of the trees or those along the riverbank. Everything else is lost in shadow as a cold breeze passes through, rattling the drying leaves. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Lunar Eclipse Over Mountains

 

Lunar eclipses are considerably more common than solar eclipses, but that doesn't make them any less beautiful or eerie. In the snowy peaks of a distant mountain range, we see the moon turn a deep orange hue as Earth's shadow passes over it. The snow reflects the light, the only warmth in this frigid winter landscape. 

Acrylic painting 14" x 17"

Gulf of Mexico Sunset

 

As summer winds to a close, we must be respectful of nature's power. The days grow shorter but hurricane season still looms as a threat. Here, we see the sun set along an empty, grassy beach on the Gulf of Mexico. The sky is heavy with grey clouds that threaten torrential rain. Or perhaps the storm has passed, and better weather is on its way? The cycles of nature are eternal, beautiful, but also uncaring about humanity's expectations. Enjoy the moment for it is ever-changing.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Orange Coneflower Sunrise

It's well into summer now in the Mid-Atlantic region, and all the flowers are in bloom. Here we see a clump of orange coneflowers up close as we look across a flower-filled meadow at sunrise. Light gleams across the grass and wildflowers as clouds part and the sun rises. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Paving Over Paradise

The latest in corrupt idiocy from the Trump administration is a plan to sell off over two hundred million acres of public land to assorted connected private interests. Excuses for stealing this land from the American people include "affordable housing" in the middle of nowhere and mineral and fossil fuel extraction to make a quick a buck while continuing to warp the climate. Nothing will get better until there's nothing left, it seems. The exact location depicted here doesn't matter, but if you feel the view would be better without the barbed wire fencing and smoke-spewing refinery, that's the point, and the cynical greed and cruelty of this administration is costing us far more than just pretty views. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Moonlit Cherry Blossoms

As final tribute this year to the cherry blossoms that have long since faded, here we see a gnarled old cherry tree in the light of the full moon. Its limbs and flowers are backlit by the pale light, long shadows are cast, and pink petals glow like sparks in the blur of night. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Gnarled Cherry Trees

Spring has arrived in the Mid Atlantic, and flowering trees light up the woodland edges and highways in pastel colors. Here, we see a small grove of old, gnarled cherry trees by a lake. Their trunks and limbs are twisted and scarred from age, but they continue to bloom each year with explosions of pinks and whites. In this fleeting moment, let us enjoy spring!

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Denali Reflections

It's been a typical winter here in Maryland, with snow, ice, and a bad cold spell in January. As we wait for spring, let us visit a place where winter lasts about half the year. Denali, in Alaska, is the tallest mountain in North America, and its peak is often shrouded in clouds. Here we see it looming above one of many local lakes and rivers carved by glaciers, its proud crown illuminated by the setting sun. Warm light hints of better days to come.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Regaining the Light

The holiday season is finishing up and it's now 2025. The winter solstice was a little over a week ago, and slowly but surely the days are growing longer. Here we see the sun rise across a snowy northern forest of conifers. Light gleams through the trees, hinting at the still distant spring. 

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"