Observations of Nature
Stefan Baumann

Throughout my career I have always made time to paint at special moments of the year--Christmas being one of my favorites. For many years, I’ve made a habit to spend Christmas in Yosemite since it has a magical quality during that particular season.

The crowds are small and the visitors are there for the same reason as I am --- seeking solitude.

What makes a painting enchanting? Not only a sense of place, but a sense of time. For me, it’s to convey a story, something that speaks clearly to the viewer. When an artist paints in the snow he can really be one with nature, all is quiet and the world seems to slow down. The trick is to stay warm and paint quickly.

In this piece, I wanted to convey the moment and the time of year. I took liberties and removed the railing from around the skating ring and also blocked out a few buildings to expose the skaters as they played on the ice. My palette consisted of a few colors to render the natural winter light. The painting was done late in the afternoon, Half Dome dominated the background giving the skaters a tiny sense of scale. Remember when you’re outdoors you have to be open to the character of a site.

Happy Holidays!