Spring Equinox

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

March Sun, Pontoise 1875 (PD US) Camille Pissarro

“Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!”
- Sitting Bull

For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, the arrival of spring is one of the last opportunities to paint the architecture of nature in reasonably mild weather before it disappears under thick new green clothing. As stark as winter can be at times, it definitely has its charms and special colors to delight the eye of the painter. Snow always seems to cheer a landscape up, and snowstorms can create a wonderful sense of mystery in the dimly seen forms of trees and hills. The gold and russet hues of native grasses make them star performers in the snowy winter landscape as well. But now, as Spring pushes in, all that winter color fades to make ready for the bright spring greens whic…