Remembering Degas

Several years ago I admired a Degas painting of ballerinas practicing in a dance studio. The ballerinas were at the top of the painting, and most of the painting was the shiny dance floor. I tried to find that painting to include it in this blog post, but I could not find a copy of it anywhere. It may have been done by another artist in the style of Degas, I dont remember.

I do remember that it inspired me to make a sketch.

This is the sketch. It's almost sacreligeous to compare a beautiful Degas painting to a lumbering moose in the snow. This is the inspiration that I got from the painting. Anyway, I filed the sketch away, and promptly forgot about it. A few days ago, the sketch turned up again so I decided to do something with it.

 

First I did a quick color study to work out some tonal values.

 

Finally I painted an 18x24" canvas of a typical bleak winter landscape. There is stark beauty in snow blowing across the landscape. This painting captures the mood, but it will never sell. I already have plenty of works that I like, but can't sell. I'll set this one aside, and probably paint over it someday. Oh well.