A few days ago we had our 39th wedding anniversary. We didn't celebrate that day, because that would be the only evening we would be staying home this week! Hubby couldn't let it pass by though without flowers. Musing about next year, I may like to have some kind of party for our fortieth...
Mountain Musings post gave me inspiration to do this post on snow. I was 36 years old when I moved from Holland to California for me to do my doctorate work. The first two years I felt like I was drenched in the summer all the time, till my body began to adjust to the heat.
By winter I really missed the change of the seasons, and even more snow. Snow slowed life down and the whole world was covered by a white virgin blanket. Snow gets my imagination and inspiration going, and my mood changes to nostalgic (different from melancholic:) )
Soon after we came to the USA, hubby had a customer who offered his cabin for use. That was really a treat for an exhausted of grad school student! By the end of the Fall semester we made it a point to go to Big Bear Lake when snow there had fallen.
It was on one of those times that we already had sledded with the kids, and they were playing, hubby was taking a nap, so I had some hours free. I had not done painting for at least 20 years, except for two sketches and one tempera painting.
The cabin had some big patio doors, which gave me a winter snow landscape right in front of me.
When you have kids you always have some extra stuff with you for them to play with, in case they got bored. So I put some cheap poster paint and a few brushes and paper on the table and started drawing. The original watercolor got lost in our last move, but I painted the scene again in oil as I showed you on Art Notes (click on top of right side bar) last year (Feb.23, 2010).
This (nondigital pic) landscape was my beginning of my come back to painting! That is what snow means to me.
I never could have imagined that the weekend in Portner's cabin would have such an impact on my life!
Mountain Musings post gave me inspiration to do this post on snow. I was 36 years old when I moved from Holland to California for me to do my doctorate work. The first two years I felt like I was drenched in the summer all the time, till my body began to adjust to the heat.
By winter I really missed the change of the seasons, and even more snow. Snow slowed life down and the whole world was covered by a white virgin blanket. Snow gets my imagination and inspiration going, and my mood changes to nostalgic (different from melancholic:) )
Soon after we came to the USA, hubby had a customer who offered his cabin for use. That was really a treat for an exhausted of grad school student! By the end of the Fall semester we made it a point to go to Big Bear Lake when snow there had fallen.
It was on one of those times that we already had sledded with the kids, and they were playing, hubby was taking a nap, so I had some hours free. I had not done painting for at least 20 years, except for two sketches and one tempera painting.
The cabin had some big patio doors, which gave me a winter snow landscape right in front of me.
When you have kids you always have some extra stuff with you for them to play with, in case they got bored. So I put some cheap poster paint and a few brushes and paper on the table and started drawing. The original watercolor got lost in our last move, but I painted the scene again in oil as I showed you on Art Notes (click on top of right side bar) last year (Feb.23, 2010).
This (nondigital pic) landscape was my beginning of my come back to painting! That is what snow means to me.
I never could have imagined that the weekend in Portner's cabin would have such an impact on my life!
Right now I'm out of town this weekend (painting) for a conference. Meet up with you, my bloggie friends, after I come back Sunday evening! Enjoy your weekend (hopefully not too cold:) ).
21 comments:
OH! 30 years!!!! Congratulations :)
Happy anniversary, Jeannette!
Evidently, your time at the cabin was meant to be as it got you back to painting. We're all glad for that.
That must be a big adjustment to the California weather. Me, too, I felt the same way, being a transplant from a tropical country.
Big Bear all year round is a great subject for artists like you.
Hmmm, I don't know if my comment went through.
But my last line was that Big Bear all year round is a great subject for artists like you.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Anniversary!
I appreciate the beauty of freshly fallen snow, but wouldn't mind the sunshine you describe. Somehow the sun makes the cold tolerable and all we've seen this week are clouds.
Gary,
Thanks! And sorry for the big TYPO I made -it should be 39 years:)
Jane,
Next to a good time to recuperate from being frazzled, I can't even begin to think of having missed those few hours of painting in the cabin!
Ebie,
Thanks Ebie. You can see all three of your comments came through!
So true, several watercolors come from the area of Big Bear!
Rudee,
Feel for you! Hope the sun will show its face soon , for it makes a lot of difference.
Well then I understand that snow must feel special to you! I find our winters too long here but on the other hand I would probably miss the seasons if I was in a climate where there was summer all year round.
I'm not sure if I have pointed out to you that I have moved/started over both my blogs in a new blog account around New Year. You will now find me at
Beyond the Lone Islands and DawnTreader's Picture Book (2) .
Happy Anniversary and glad the snow inspired you to paint again.
Congratulations on that anniversary and also on the beautiful snow scenes.
Love the shot of the cabin in the snow. And, yep, that looks like pyracantha in your header.
Congratulations on your anniversary.
I'm sure you would not like the snow half as much if you had to live with it in the wintertime. It really isn't all that great. California weather is ever so much better. You have the choice to go to the snow and leave it again.
Congratulations!!
But your roses are beautiful.
Monika,
Where we live, we get used to, and that's probably a good thing! Thanks for the reminder of the move of your blog:)
Jane M.,
Thank you! Yes, snow will always have a special place in my heart!
Weaver,
Thank you, Friend!I'm lucky! In Europe one has to travel at lot longer to go from hot into cold weather (this was only 2 hours).
Kathy,
That is actually the shed which I saw from inside the cabin. I'm excited that I got to know the name of my header's plant -all because you posted it:)
Irene,
Yes, I agree -it's nice to escape to nice weather whenever I want to!
Photovigor,
Thanks so much! I like roses in any color:)
Yes snow!! The first time I saw it I was 5 years old during a brief stay in Holland. The second time was seven years later and I was delighted. I hated the climate in the tropics. Indonesia is a beautiful country, but I didn't like the sticky heat during the hot season. I am a real European. I like to see other countries but I love to come back in Europe.
Thanks for sharing that. It's so interesting what can inspire us to something more.
Excellent piece. I have always found snow to be very peaceful, not just to look at but to walk through, no matter how cold it is. Most winters we make a point to travel to where the snow is and allow our daughter (and us!) a chance to play in it and see its beauty up close.
I know what you mean about snow making the world slow down under a white virgin blanket. I feel the same. I think snow is nature's way of telling us to stop and slow down.
My husband feels he must get up and "move it" as soon as possible. I cannot seem to break him of this habit!
Reader Wil,
Snow must have been so exciting to see at that age! I've never returned to Indon. since I left when I was five. But I can imagine that it was a sticky heat, because it's the same kind of heat in the South of China (were in ShenZhen, the mainland's side of Hong Kong.
Jen,
You're welcome:) And it's for everyone a different thing!
JDS,
Thank you. So true, because we were both sick last winter we missed the short snow season here. We made sure we got our share this year!
Neetzy,
My little theory is that man was made to experience the seasons!
Is that (moving snow) maybe what they did in hubby's family of origin?
all of these are wonderful pictures...love ur blog..me and my blogs are following it now..
See the World
Our Kitchen
Nature's Beauty
Redruby,
Thank you for visiting and also for the "follow"!
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