South Witham Snow

Description

Snow on Snowy Snow

This painting of a countryside winter landscape beautifully illustrates the silence and stillness of the season. The carefully considered, muted colour palette serves to highlight the characteristics the buildings of this ancient village – so old it has connections to the Knights Templar – and its rural setting. With its stone cottages and timber framed English pub it serves as a reminder, that these small communities can still live and thrive despite the challenges of the seasons.

As always Kerry has created the image using her fine layers, to lay down colours one on top of another which means she can highlight and pick out features of the scene in a way to draw the eye and invite the viewer in for closer inspection. Texture on stone and sgraffito on roof tiles can be clearly observed as we move closer to the canvas for another look.

A palette to reflect the season

In this instance with a limited and muted colour palette she has echoed the nature of the season. The buildings add warmth in their tones and we can be drawn in to imagine the families inside nestled around warm fires.

Whereas the snow and sky in their almost monochrome palette of whites and greys serves as stark contrast, to give the impression of the heavily laid snow binding them there as winter passes through. Bare black branches and skeletal trees are left standing sentry in the mounds of powdery snow and a few sparse plants in gardens present their seed-heads and berries showing that these gardens lie sleeping until the spring.

Painted in Kerry’s usual naïve style it demonstrates how contemporary modern art can be used to portray that which is ancient in a fresh and vibrant way. This painting of a countryside winter landscape holds its own as a poignant record of this picturesque Lincolnshire village.