I’m a creative, experienced, multi-purpose artist and art director
who can take projects start to finish in a variety of styles.

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Friday, December 14, 2012

"Snow"

In my first year of college, my roommate ran into our apartment and shouted “You have to come outside!”  I was reluctant since I was diligently doing homework.  (Notice my halo.)  When I asked what was going on, she exclaimed “It’s snowing!!!”  I kept doing my homework, but her enthusiasm would not shut up, so I dragged myself away from my latest masterpiece and went outside.  There might’ve been about 10 airborne flakes in the sky.  It was October, and I wasn’t pleased.

“Isn’t it beautiful?!”  Yeah, okay, maybe it was, slightly, but I had to get my homework done.  She danced around in circles, I laughed at her, and it was a nice moment.  She had grown up in the South, and didn’t know snow.  By the end of winter, she was kicking piles of pissed on, pollution-streaked city snow and admitted it wasn’t fun anymore, just like the rest of us who had to trudge to school with wet oil paintings in the icy wind.

Except for a few noticeable weirdos, most people in Ohio have my attitude towards snow.  Aside from wishing for a white Christmas, most of us could do without it for the rest of the year.  I don’t want to hear naturalists and menopausal women rhapsodizing about dressing in layers.  Snow is an obstacle to be borne or overcome.

Sometimes we get one of those absolutely silent days where the world has been transformed into a white on white on blue spectacular that catches your breath.  I’ve been enraptured by the beauty of individual snowflakes clinging to my brightly colored coat.  Individual snowflakes are wonders, but they get together with their pals and make life hard.

Given my surly attitude towards winter, it might surprise you that I’m concerned about climate change.  I should just be happy that it’s mid-December and haven’t had much snow yet.  Okay, I am kind of glad I haven’t had to shovel the driveway, but the lack of winter worries me.  Every year is a little warmer, a little less like winter as I remember it.

When I was a kid, the river froze solid.  I ice skated up and down the river, but kids haven’t skated on the river since I was a kid.  One year my dad shoveled paths through the snow, and I couldn’t see over it.  It was like walking through white tunnels.  The winters of my childhood were white from November to April, with some extra white in October and May.  It just isn’t like that anymore.  It’s mid-December, and I can still pick things in my garden.  Instead of shoveling snow, I should probably cut the grass.

People seem to spend so little time outside these days, I don’t think very many people notice.  Food comes from the grocery store, so they aren’t worried about whether or not bees die off or crops failed last summer.  People notice that oranges cost more this year, but they aren’t connecting the dots that oranges are expensive because fruit trees bloomed too early last spring. 

The US elections are over, and maybe we can start talking again about the things that matter.  I know it was politically useful to deny science and say climate change hasn’t been proven yet, but it just isn’t true.  Scientists do agree that our weather is changing.  We can live without oranges and ice skating, but it’s time to quit the political games and start doing something to protect our home and our future.  I never thought I’d say it, but I want snow.

20 comments:

  1. I'm about of the same opinion as you about snow. But I'm also one of those who think the naysayers of this global warming thing (which was surreptitiously changed to 'climate change') should be considered. That it's just a red herring thrown up to divert our attention away from the real issues and to make money for the ones scaring everyone with Weathergate. Then again, what do I know? Just what they let me read... lol

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  2. I love that silence when everything is white and buffered. Yet you are very right our weather is not what we grew up with. Fall is my season. A little snow at Christmas and I'm good to go. As for the rest of the season--not a fan. But life is shifting and we all need to take notice. As for me composting/recycling and not throwing a lot of garbage out there is what I do best.

    As for the art, very pretty :)

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  3. I'll agree with part of what you're saying Rand. I do think that there's a red herring in the climate discussion, but I think it's that the people who profit from businesses that pollute don't want to change their ways because that could get expensive. If they can convince enough people not to talk about the issue, they don't have to do anything except rake in profits.

    I think you make a great point Mary Lou. We should all do what we can to help the issue. We may not be able to solve the whole thing by ourselves, but our actions count!

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    1. We really do have to have a tea sometime. :) Look at who stands to profit by global warming... Some say global warming is a natural phenomena that the sun causes quite naturally and it goes through cycles... nuff said. If you're interested in an insight to the dark side, and I'm not saying this is entirely true, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiX792kNQeE

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  4. I agree Linda - the seasons seem to rather blur into one another now. Mind you the last 2 winters here have been so cold with more snow than even I would like......... Now that is saying something. I do love that eerie silence though when it snows heavily and everything is muffled, just as long as it is gone by the morning rush hour..our transport system here just collapses with a whiff of a snowflake. I love your snowflake print...that would make a gorgeous backing paper for one of my cards ;0)
    Jane x

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  5. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but a good one-time occurence of snow in central Virginia would be nice this winter.

    Has your art ever been used for greeting cards?

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  6. Rand, I'd love to have tea. I think it'd be a riot to get together with you. But Icke? Really? Not that I don't love a good conspiracy as much as the next person, a lot more really, but Icke?? He just gives conspiracies a bad name :)

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    1. Ha! What? Is it the thing about the Lizard People? Pffft. :)

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  7. Cleveland doesn't stop for snow Jane. It's really a shame. I'd love to get an occasional snow day.

    I haven't done cards, but I have done a lot of packaging. Now I'm starting to think I should print out these snowflakes and quit procrastinating about sending out Christmas cards. Thanks for the comments!

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  8. I got an occasional snow day - in Colorado. And have had a couple where I live now, but this city is full of wimps. 1/2 inch and the schools have late opening. I don't mind snow except for 2 things - shoveling walks and scraping ice off the car in the frozen morning.

    Thanks for bringing up the climate change discussion. I think it's important (and it's happening.) I wonder from time to time about the "little ice age" (1350-1850) and if this isn't some sort of natural reversal of that. The best data says no...

    On another topic, I sent you an email from your art site a couple weeks ago asking about buying a piece from you. Haven't heard back. Maybe you didn't get it?

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  9. I live in a city that is officially rated as the snowiest major city in the world, and my feelings about snow are necessarily complicated. But I love your illustration and I love the line "Individual snowflakes are wonders, but they get together with their pals and make life hard." It's so true and it made me laugh. Thank you.

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  10. I am glad you like snow despite not liking it. Because you are right. We need to start making changes if we want to have an inhabitable planet for human beings in the future. The planet will always survive, but we might not. So far we agree, but then I have to say I love winters. Didn't you experience the excitement as a kind when it was snowing? I am still there. I just love snow, and not only as individual snow flakes. Snow is beautiful, it's fun and it's actually insulating compare to having black frost.

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  11. Linda, that is a lovely illustration! You have created the magic depth when looking in to snowfall. The snowy silence and the flakes mesmerise you and you get enchanted by another world: the world of the space between the snowflakes. That is exactly what your delightful illustration does to me.
    Well done, well done! Thank you!

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  12. I'm loving the design quality of this illustration!

    I hear so many people saying, "Oh, I love this winter, it's warm and no snow!" I find it a little scary, too! I'm used to cold wintry days in December; and this weather screams a big, "there is something wrong, with our weather!" It's not normal for cities like NYC and Philadelphia, to not have snow this time of the year.

    This time of the year always has me thinking, we need to be worried about some serious things, other than where's the next big sale! But, maybe that's just me!

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  13. Thanks everybody! Okay, I don't always hate snow. Sled riding can be fun and I can get hypnotized watching it fall -- as long as I'm inside and the snow's outside. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's nervous about such warm weather in winter.

    Terri, my apologies for missing your email. Thanks for telling me you sent it. I sent you an email.

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  14. I love honesty about snow. Some people are so happy go lucky in the magical white. And others see slippery roads and wind chill. I am also the latter.

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  15. What a simply stunning design, Linda! I agree with you about snow. A white Christmas, OK. But I've got little use for it other than that. I went to college at Syracuse University (otherwise known as Siberacuse) in central NY, and we got what they called "lake effect snow" which is code for "perpetual blizzard." I was lucky enough to be there when they cancelled classes due to snow for the first time in the University's history in 1993. I got more than my share back then. But I agree - it is very concerning, the lack of snow, & the warmer temperatures....very....

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  16. Hya Linda, ... ah I love how you drew me into your story, kept me chuckling and laughing and giggling (well the giggles were on the inside :) ) and then finally worked up to the serious part of your piece - and so poignantly. And that's coming from a non-beleiver on climate change! (just cause I don't beleive it doesn't mean it aint happening) And oc ourse I love your illustration, It made me feel cold, which is no mean feat cause here today it's about 40 degrees outside and I am sitting in the air con which is set at 18 degrees . Two days I got sunburnt in the surf.... Well let me see. I came her to wish you Merry Christmas and to thankyou for your kind friendship over the last year or two. Hugs to you and your loved ones and may your New Year be as white as white can be (with no yellow snow :) ) If you know St.Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast you know not to eat no yellow snow... :) see you :)

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  17. You should watch the film Chasing ice. I don't know how anyone could deny what is happening after seeing it.

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  18. I got my wish, and it's snowing in Ohio today, just in time for Christmas. I'll be quite willing for it to melt next Wednesday.

    I love reading your comments. It cracks me up to think of Andrew in the AC with a sunburn reading my grouchy snow thoughts :) I haven't seen the movie Chasing Ice, Patti. I'll look for it, even if it doesn't sound like a happy film. Better to know what we're dealing with, right?

    Happy Holidays everybody!

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