The Thaw - in its final form!

The Thaw, 9x12" Oil on panel

© Helen Read

It's taken a few weeks, but this landscape is now finished - and titled! 
This just captures the tail end of winter here in the Midwest.  It illustrates that time when leaves haven't yet started to unfold, there is still a little snow left in the some shady places, dried leaves are still littering the ground, and there is just a hint of green beginning to show itself in a few sparse places.  The air is still chilled, but nothing like the icy winter months. This is the very beginning of our spring time! 

I learned a lot while working on this painting.  I used a gessoed panel, which has a smooth surface.  The paint handles differently; it does things it doesn't do on canvas.  I used both brush and palette knife.  To get the smooth, misty appearance, I used a brush.  To get the more highly textured foreground, I used a palette knife.  Overall, it has a rather impressionistic feel.