Antietam peaceful field

Two weeks ago, I finally visited Antietam National Battlefield, out in the mountains and rolling fields of western Maryland. It was a great trip, and the park is peaceful and beautiful with nice hiking trails and great views of the nearby mountains. Fortunately, it was a relatively cool day since there's not a lot of shade there - bring a hat and sunscreen. This view is from a point just a bit south of the main road in from Boonsboro, looking east towards the mountains. When you see the battlefield now, it is hard to believe that such carnage took place in such a tranquil place.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Evening Fields and Trees

Evening casts long shadows across forgotten fields and trees. I love the pinks, purples, and flecks of orange that color the clouds near sunset, and the sky is the showpiece in this scene. The low-angle light provides nice contrast in the trees, each lit up with bits of gold.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Snowy Field with Trees

Here's a tribute to the first snowfall of the year! An inch of slushy snow is still enough to inspire one to paint a wintery field in the gleaming light of a cold day.

The trees were particularly tricky to paint, since they were bare of leaves (or almost bare since some trees, like oaks, hold on to some browned leaves until deep into winter.) That, and the subdued colors made for a challenging painting, but I think it turned out pretty well.

Acrylic ainting: 14" x 17"