Brutal Winter Print

This painting was inspired by all the animals in real life that exist within the harsh realities of a hostile ecosystem. Each year I watch as they survive the elements and their strength and resilience amazes me. When I chose to do my Farms and Fields Mini Collection I knew that a winter cow needed to happen. Story: She stands resolute, the fields and forest behind her singing a chilling melody. The sounds were a mix of harsh wind, creaking woods, and the delicate tinkling of ice upon ice. It is a sound that I found both harsh and eerily beautiful at the same time. It is not the first snowfall of the year, and I could easily see the residue of snowy storms past caked into the layers of her thickening coat. From where I stand she is like a statue, a sculpture of ice, and just as still as the woods behind her. How does she surive such a harsh world, I wonder? I could barely stand the thin crust of ice coating my own scarf and hat. My own nose already red and raw from the few moments I stood outside. I wanted to stand and marvel at her resilience a little while longer, but the call of warmth and comfort beckoned me to return home. I wasn't as strong as this beautiful creature before me. I let that thought sink in for one more moment before turning on my heel. Strength comes from God in all things, it just depends on how you look at it.