Winter Oak - A Study in Grays?

Winter Oak-oil 11x14"

Painted this from a photo I took last winter.  Paging through photos and brainstorming a blog idea this morning, I came across the painting in my computer archives.  I showed this painting last summer at the
Mostre de Arte show at the Braumart in Iron Mountain MI. But, it could be an image from this winter.

It began as what I thought would be a study in grays, black and white.  People always comment I use so much color in my paintings and I thought it would be good for me to try and challenge myself to subdue my color.  So you could say I lost the challenge, because like it or not there's lots of color in this piece.  I painted from an 8x10" enlargement of my photograph.  But I also was able to view it on my computer screen and blow up areas that I wanted to look at more closely.  Boy was there color in my reference photos:  beautiful moss greens on the trees, every range of purple from lavender to eggplant in the bark, some great burnt browns in leaves and grass, pinks in the brush, blues on the snow, yellow in the sky....

I guess you could also say I won my challenge.  This is a very subdued use of color (for me). I succeeded in incorporating more gray and neutral mixes into my painting.  I don't do a lot of winter scenes - just don't like the cold, and what I consider the lack of color to inspire.  But i learned my lesson, and I guess I will have to keep looking this winter for the color I don't think is there!

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