Painting “O Christmas Tree”

Here is a photo of my newest completed painting called "O Christmas Tree."

I decorated our home for Christmas over Thanksgiving weekend. After we got the tree up and the mantel decorated, it seemed like a new painting would finish off the look completely. So I spent the better part of this week creating a new piece called “O Christmas Tree.” Below are photos of my progress.

I began with several sketches, keeping in mind that our Christmas tree would be placed to the left of this painting.

After I sketched my design on the canvas, I began painting the sky. I paint the sky in stripes of blue shades, lightest being at the horizon line. Then I blend them with a large brush.

Next I began the "snowy" hills. Keep in mind that this is a stylized painting, and that my decor is full of pinks and purples.

The snow in the foreground is supposed to look like the sun is hitting it.

Here is all the paint I've mixed up to use in the tree. I'll use both the colors from the snow, as well as some deeper shades of green too.

Here it is, basically done. Now it needs to dry on my easel for several days before I hang it up. I'll post photos of it hanging over my fireplace next week, so stay tuned!!