Winter calm. Time.

Winter arrived abruptly on the east coast with drop in temperature and a snow dusting just in time to set the stage for the holidays. In between December’s busy-ness, I’ve been observing the outdoor light, the bare trees, the shapes of the branches and translating those shapes to line pencil or ink drawings. A bare tree shows its shapes and beauty.

This past year, I have been researching Gothic and Renaissance artworks intrigued by the small, detailed landscapes and plants inserted into these old masterpieces. These elements of nature are deliberately included, part of a movement, Humanism, in about 1450 in which math and sciences were booming and in recognition of humans place within the natural world. And, plants and trees new to the artwork of the time hold symbolism, for example, lilies signify purity, happiness or rebirth. I will share more on this in the next post.