Thought I wouldn't paint outside today?

So, you thought I wouldn't paint outside today? It was just -24℃ with the windchill, practically shorts and T shirt weather here in Canada. Just kidding, you have to take this kind of weather seriously because exposed skin can get quickly damaged from frost bite. Actually, I had no choice since the LUFA Farms pickup is on Thursday so I got all dressed up in the winter gear and biked down to Trenholme park. The skating rink has its walls up, but no ice yet. As I painted, a city worker came by and stomped on the ground to see if it was frozen yet, I suppose they are going to flood it with water soon. By chance, it was a full moon this evening, with a clear dark sky in the background. The main light source was an enormous flood light directly overhead. 

To paint this scene, I wore deer-skin gauntlet mitts the whole time, with thin insulating gloves underneath and wool wrist gators to lock in the warmth. At this temperature, you just can't expose hands to the weather. Starting with yellows and oranges, including the pale tea-colour of the moon (raw sienna PBr7), I slowly worked up the rink details, careful to leave snow highlights clear, then filled in darker elements including the background houses and sky. I wasn't sure the trees would turn out, I had to apply them while the painting was still slightly moist, using yellow ochre (PY43) and carbon black (PBk6) to make the branches. 

 Full moon over rink, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, December 2025

With 200 grams of salt per liter of water it stayed mostly liquid, although on the palette, the colour mixtures were quickly turning into slush, and the paint was freezing onto the paper. It created neat textural effects, almost like pastels or crayons. Over time, the plastic palette, which was bought new this summer, will crack into pieces because they don't make them for winter conditions. I'm not sure any watercolour painter paints in the winter. To illustrate just how cold it was tonight, we got fresh ground beef in the order today, and by the time I got home it was frozen nearly solid! 

Gas station chilly evening, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, December 2025