New Series on Winter Wonderlands by Pat Cross

Pat Cross launches Winter Wonderlands, a new series of oil paintings celebrating the season of dramatic contrasts.

“Of all the seasons, winter proves my most productive in the studio,” tells Pat Cross, admitting, “partly due to fewer temptations outside my window.” As the lawn and garden rest in chilly dormancy, many artists in the Northeast store their tools and invest those weekly dozen hours painting new works. Yet there is more to the story than inclement weather. “When painting a landscape, I want to convey the sensory aspects of that specific place in that particular season,” explains Pat Cross. “So, this winter, I tuned in my antennae to all things frosty, frigid, blustery.”

Winter winds whisk away leaves from deciduous trees and shrubs which exposes the intricacies of limbs, twigs and branches otherwise concealed in the other seasons. This transforms the landscape dramatically, often giving an impression similar to a line drawing. In some instances, the color punches to greater intensity in winter, such as with the river willows. The frost drains the chlorophyll from the branches revealing a blood-red array of veins and capillaries.

In the new painting Twin River Willows, a pair of red river willows brighten in the winter solstice sun. Their willowy branches splay outwards and upwards like fire flames escaping a crack in the earth. “Winter reveals dramatic contrasts that make for an exciting visual adventure,” says Pat Cross, adding, “I paint these with a desire to share these experiences with others, with the hope of bringing refreshment.”

To view Twin River Willows and other winter paintings by Pat Cross, click visit www.patcrossart.com or reach out to the artist via the Connect page.