Large,
beautiful painting
First
snow. A few hours earlier it was raining and deep, sticky mud covered a
duct in the birch woods. Then it became a rain and snow, then sleet and
finally, western wind covered the trees with patchy snow. Old farmers say
that western wind keeps December warm (heck with such a popular wisdom). Soon
later, frost hardened muddy soil into rough, tough pieces. But, it is not
all yet. Reddish sky in the West tells us that the next morning there
will be a bitter frost.
A
little girl is walking back home. Misled by the old farmers’ proverb, she
did not dress appropriately and the weather took her by surprise. She
wrapped herself in whatever she had and now she is wading through deeper and
deeper snow toward the village, shivering of cold. Gusty Western wind
hits her small face with sharp snowflakes. One can notice from the
distance her red face wrapped with a scarf.
There
is a bulge under her coat. The little one is carrying something
big. Maybe it is a basket with some bread or sausages bought at the
neighborhood convenience kiosk. Or books from her school? Or
perhaps a little puppy that she tries to protect from cold and wind.
The scene is shown from a certain hight, probably from a position taken on a
tree branch. I have no clue what the artist was doing on the tree in such
a weather and such time of a day. She was not painting, for sure. Frost-
stiffened fingers would not hold the brush or pallet and oil paint would freeze
within a minute or two. Wind would blow the stand and carry it to the
other end of the world. Anna, better get down and follow the girl
home. In the warm log hut her grandmother will place you both by the
humming fireplace and pour some hot tea with raspberry syrup and honey from
forest bees.
It
is evident, that the Artist has painted this picture from memory. It is
especially impressive that all the details are recorded with perfect accuracy
and resolution. On the other hand, there is at our disposal a newest
invention of the electronic science, digital photography. Whoever
says that it is forbidden to utilize electronic technique to memorize
details. In such a weather, it would be justified.
However,
in order to take a picture from this perspective, one still has to climb a
tree...
