The winter seems longer and colder this year and in no hurry to go away yet. This, in a tropical country like India, is a good thing. We love the few months of good weather we have every year, and winter is definitely a season to celebrate. So this week, we celebrate with another of our Affordable Art series. This time it’s our favourite winter paintings.
Winter Paintings:
The most important thing about a piece of art to me is not how it looks, but how it makes me feel. Art reflects life… the good and the bad. But personally, I could never pick up a piece of art that portrays grief, anger or hopelessness and put that up in my home. It would have to be something that inspires, makes me feel happy and hopeful that I would choose to go with.
It’s the same with our winter paintings today. Whether they are all white, snow blanketed landscapes or a spurt of bright colours, they all celebrate the beauty of winter in one way or another. So let’s get right to it.
Winter Wonderlands:
No collection of winter paintings would be complete without some beautiful winter landscapes.
You can almost hear the peaceful silence in these.
Both these completely have my heart. I can’t decide what moves me more, the misty mysteriousness of the first or the hopeful sun peeking through the second.
Winter Creatures:
Think winter and I think big furry animals like polar bears. Until a painting like this comes along and reminds me of winter’s little creatures too.
How can you think winter paintings without thinking of reindeer.
And then of course, there’s us, the least equipped of all the creatures to survive a harsh winter.
The simple beauty of this painting doesn’t seem to complain at all, though.
Breaking The Ice:
These abstracts join this list of winter paintings because they are icy cold and all sorts of beautiful shades of blue!
The one on the left, below, reminds me delightfully of snowflakes.
The painting on the right is called ‘Watercolour Weave’. How beautiful and appropriate is that!
(Very often, artists don’t name their paintings. Which is entirely understandable… I feel like I struggle longer to write the title of my blog post than the blog post itself. Some give names to their paintings that don’t really make sense (to me). I look at the painting, I read the name and try to connect the two… and fail. And then there are some where the name and the painting are in complete symphony and I like one just as much as the other. It’s a very silly little thing that makes me very, very happy!)
This one has me mesmerized. I keep looking at it again and again…. and yet again.
Let’s Get Warm:
What’s your favourite winter drink? Mine… masala chai.
Favourite spot to have it? Sitting in the sun…
… most likely in my balcony.
I might make a huge fuss over it if a friend is over. But something like this is highly unlikely to happen in real life. It’s still a pretty painting though…
And then, of course, there is wine.
For a Few Smiles:
And then there are times when you don’t see the sun for days and you feel like the chill that’s entered your bones is never going to leave. (I’m thinking of the time I visited my grandparents in Punjab in the winters) These winter paintings are especially for those days.
It could be this winter wonderland with a difference.
It could be icy Mr. Octopus who is oh-so cool or cozy Mr. Owl who looks as warm as toast, they’ll definitely make you smile.
I mean, who doesn’t need a short nap in a warm cup of tea!?
And who doesn’t need this guy on call on a cold winter day!
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Yup, pick up your glass of wine, cup of chai or bowl of soup… whatever is your favourite. Get warm, read this post, and enjoy what’s left of this winter. It will be another whole year before it’s back!
Pick up some winter paintings if you like. Go through our other posts in the Affordable Art series if you’d like something else instead. We’ll be back with our next of these series soon.
Until then,
