Winter Houseboat Study | 6×8 | Oil on Linen Panel

Inspiration for Winter Houseboat Study

I painted Winter Houseboat Study during the Holidays. Now, Florida isn’t exactly known for its frigid winters, but let me tell you—here in the Panhandle, it can still get cold! (And just to cover myself from accusations of chickenheartedness, my friends from New England tell me that the dampness here makes it feel colder than the thermometer shows.) My digits were barely able to move by the time I wrapped up this study. Thank God for hot cups of coffee! One thing I love about winter landscapes is the colors of distant trees. I assume the lack of green foliage is the cause, but distant trees always seem to take on a purple-ish hue in the cold months. These particular colorations live vibrantly in my memories, recalling the crisp, frigid air of a countryside overlooking rolling hills and distant farmland.