Freeze Up

A quiet, wintry scene painted with delicate brushwork: birch trunks stand like pale sentinels in the foreground, their mottled bark and dark knots picked out against a blanket of fresh snow. A fallen branch arches across the lower part of the composition, its snow-capped curve leading the eye toward a frozen lake that stretches into the middle distance. The ice and snow pick up cool blues and soft, buttery yellows from a low, pale sun, and a thin line of dark evergreens marks the far shore. The sky is a wash of muted blues and grays, lending a hush to the whole scene. Overall it feels still and contemplative — the hush after snowfall, with light and texture speaking louder than any movement.