Vermont's ROCKWELL KENT

Artist Rockwell Kent (1882-1971) was known for his ability to capture the nature he so loved in mystical landscape paintings.  He once said, "I'm not trying to make people love my art.  Through my art, I'm trying to make people love nature.  That's all."

The Trapper - 1921
Rockwell Kent
In the collection of the Whitney Museum
of Modern Art in New York

Rockwell Kent painted this lone figure of the trapper as a symbol of solitude and self-reliance, reflecting the harsh realities of life in a remote, wintry environment.  The painting is revered for its skillful use of light and shadow, the depth and texture in the snow, while capturing the cold, atmospheric conditions.  Kent spent significant time in Alaska.  The Trapper represents the region's rugged landscape and the lives of the people who live there.

Note the visual impact, with the stark contrast between the white snow, dark silhouette of the trapper, and the mountains.....creating a powerful sense of drama. There's much more to the picture than a lone trapper, a dog, mountains, clouds, sky and pale half-moon.  We imagine vast expanses of white wilderness, with wild animals existing in this harsh environment. 

Winter art scenes help us to appreciate the beauty of the season, the emotions it stirs within us plus our cultural attitudes.  What other season gives us the whites, the blues and the silvers of frost and snow.  Winter is a time for solitude, and Christmas is a time for us to reflect on our spiritual stand. 

For myself, the winter season around Christmas makes me aware of my resilient stand up against commercialism.  In that regard, I find myself to be more introverted at my age than I was when I was younger.  Looking at a winter painting warms my soul, and a forceful inner curiosity shoves me to look for the meaning of things, of people, of their actions, their inactions.....everything about life.  It's kinda like I can hear the clock ticking, and I want to learn all I can about Earth and its 8+ billion Earthers.  The everyday mundane have-to stuff gets in my way, and I struggle my way around it. 

Since my study of Van Gogh, I've learned to understand the context of a painting, when it was created, the artist who created it, the culture of the location it was painted, and after all that, I can see if the painting relates to me or my life.  I notice, too, that I'm drawn to certain pieces.....like The Trapper in today's post.  Artists have given the world an incredible treasure trove.  I have only been to one place to see original sculptures and paintings, and that was the Vatican in Rome and the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo painted the ceiling.  For little old me to have been there and done that, well, that was mighty spectacular.  To think that I was where Michelangelo was......makes my soul sing.  

I'm hoping my followers are having an adventure along with me.  I'm starting my 17th year of blogging, and once in a while I need to undertake a learning project that I can share.  And, Christmas is the perfect time to pass on to others what we ourselves take pleasure in learning or experiencing. 

Sadly, we are already swimming in a sea of artificial intelligence, propelled by digital technology, that has the ability to create a whole new genre of art.  My artistic preference wants what comes from the hands, the heart, the soul and the eyes of another.