It's Arrived!! by Fiona Phipps

Brrr! It makes me feel cold. I love the colours you have used - really works well, accentuating the bleakness and stark landscape.

Very nice Fiona, i think this is one of your best. The sky and distant hills give a good background to the well painted snowy forground, with a nice lead in with the path.

You will probably think I am odd but what I think makes this painting work so well is the diagonal brush strokes in the sky which are a great contrast to the more rounded brush strokes of hills, hedges and road. If you had put rounded cloud shapes or that type of sky I think it would have argued with the rest of the painting. I always think that skies make or break a painting (which is why I often leave them out!) and your decisions about this one was spot on in my book. I really like your palette as well which is autumnal as well as chilly with the snow. Nice one.

Thank you very much Christine, Stephen, Thea, much appreciated. Thea thank you for the observation about the sky, it's actually like this in the photo so I left it in it's simple form. There's quite a bit going on in the rest of the painting even if there isn't much colour. I thought perhaps I could have made the sky paler towards the horizon but by the time I realised....too late! Thanks again.

Great. The warm colours form a nice contrast to the colder tones. Like Thea I also think the sky works well.

Great palette and result

I really like this Fiona -a lovely palette and as Thea says the diagonal sky really makes it work.

F...F...F...Fiona, brrrrr.... I love the brave little tree on the right. Without it, the painting would not be as good, but it's something a bit different for the eye to pause at before carrying on around the painting. And Thea, I hadn't thought about the sky that way but I see what you mean and you're spot on. Lovely. I must try Arches.

Thank you very much Pat, Michael, Carol and Caroline, very grateful to you all for taking the time to have a look and leaving your comments. Caroline, the tree isn't in the photo, I added it at the last minute, glad you think it works. Thanks again all!

I'm playing catch up again! What a lovely Christmas card this would make. I love the colours and the sky and, like Caroline, I think the little tree was an inspired addition as it serves to break up all the horizontals.

Wow - snow already, it is a great painting, lovde the distant hills and colours, lovely painting

Thanks very much Val, Glennis.....glad you like it!

I'm playing catch up too, lovely snow painting, Fiona.. Snow scenes are difficult, you have done it well

Thank you Jenny!

Wonderful surreal feel again. I like your limited palette.

Thanks Gudrun......I seem to be in love with burnt sienna at the moment, must be the Autumn colour everywhere!

Brrr! I'm feeling the cold out here in Singapore, Fiona! Starkly beautiful.