I recently took a painting class with John McDonald—not because I needed the practice, but because sometimes, when inspiration feels quiet, a class is the nudge I need to keep painting. This one, in particular, caught my attention because the subject looked so much like the view from my front windows.
Locals here call the hill “Snow Mountain.” It’s a familiar landmark, a kind of weather touchstone. When the snow comes heavy—as it often does in Western New York—the hill disappears into a soft white mist. In spring and early autumn, it vanishes again, cloaked in drifting banks of fog. I’ve grown used to watching its moods shift with the seasons, a backdrop that marks time as much as any calendar.
The class stirred something in me. I realized I want to capture this view—the hill in snow, in fog, in sunlight. A seasonal series, painted from my own windows, inspired by the changing light and weather. Snow Mountain has become more than a hill to me—it’s a reminder to keep creating, no matter the season.