Our winter landscape has been blanketed in white since early December, and each week a bit more snow has been added to the ground. I headed out for a snowshoe walk early yesterday morning at the golf course on the University of Minnesota Saint Paul campus. The city was quiet for a Saturday morning — no commuter traffic, no snowplows clearing the roads yet, and most people were still in their beds. As I got into the center of the golf course I realized that it really wasn’t as quiet as I had thought. There were birds flitting from tree to tree chirping their greetings, and tracks in the snow where the squirrels had scampered from one area to another. And then I noticed that the landscape wasn’t really quite so white. Although the gray sky was reflecting in the snow cover, the oak trees still had their reddish-brown leaves clinging to the branches, some of the blonde grasses were blowing lightly in the breeze, and the pine trees were green with a coating of snow. The landscape was a study of muted contrasts and colors.
landscapes
Greeting the morning
After an evening and night of snow this past week, the following morning promised a dawn of sunshine and a brilliant blue sky. I headed out the door to begin my day at Como Park. As I walked into the park I was joined by a cross-country skier who said that the snow was going to be perfect for his outing. With different agendas we parted and went our own ways. The sun rose over the white landscape and brought a beautiful contrast to the scene. The night’s snow had clung to all the trees and they sparkled in the sunlight, especially with the bluest of skies all around. It was a delightful way to start the cold morning — surrounded by the beauty of winter, the promise of bright sunshine, and some morning exercise of tramping in the snow and photographing.
A winter’s dawn
The past week was cold and wintry. It seemed that we had a clipper blow through every day, dropping a couple of inches of snow, then moving on. That meant daily shoveling (oh yeah!) and lots of overcast days with gray skies. But one morning I woke up, looked to the east, and thought there might be some clearing skies and a beautiful sunrise. I quickly dressed, covered up in multiple layers, and ventured out into the cold early dawn to Como Park. Best part was that I wasn’t disappointed. The thin layer of clouds to the east allowed the sun to reflect its brilliant colors onto the sky and it became of palette of beautiful hues. As quickly as the colors of the dawn reached its crescendo, it likewise disappeared to the brightness of a sunny day, all reflected in the snow covering the ground.
Two exhibits in the Twin Cities area
I’m very happy to tell you about two exhibits that I have in the Twin Cities area. The first is part of a group exhibit at Hudson Hospital in Hudson, Wisconsin. My collection of photographs is titled “My Midwest.” This group of images, including the first photograph above from the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, represent the beauty and diversity that I have found while living in the Midwest. There will be an artists reception at Hudson Hospital this Friday, February 8th from 6:00 to 8:00pm. You are welcome to come see my work as well as the work of other artists. My photographs will be at Hudson Hospital through March 17, 2013.
The second exhibit is at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota. This collection of images is titled “florabundant” and includes the lower photograph of a gaillardia. These images all celebrate the color, radiance, and wonder that exists in the floral universe. In contract to our winter landscape which is presently covered in white and devoid of any other colors right now, this collection is filled with the hues and brightness of spring, summer, autumn, and the whites of winter too. This exhibit runs through the month of February.
Morning frost
I looked out the window this morning and saw crystal-like snowflakes dancing in the sunlight. They sparkled and glistened as they drifted to the ground. It reminded me of this image from the past week. Our nights have been cold, and the other morning I went out to my car to go to work; insert key, start engine, and wait for the car to warm up. But as I sat in the driver’s seat I looked out the front windshield and “saw” the most beautiful sight. The morning’s frost had settled on the glass, and as the light of the day (and the street lamp) shined through the window it was all refracted through the crystals of frost. The trees became abstract and a beautiful mosaic was created with the light and the early morning colors of the sky.
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