Snow

Close to finishing Orhan Pamuk’s fabulous novel Snow.

I gave it to my husband last Christmas while he unknowingly gave me A Strangeness in my Mind. So masterfully written, I’m loving it so much I actually sat out in the snow, reading for a few chapters (in Kirkwood not Kars) until the sun shone less brightly and the cold and damp seeped through my snow pants.

So sad to hear the tragic news in Turkey! Anyone who wants a nuanced and deeply human meditation on the social / political climate of this area should dip into his novels!

Petals to Snowflakes

There’s something so magical about living in California. It was only a matter of hours between basking in the sun of my Los Gatos back yard, watching the plum blossom petals drift off the tree like lazy flurries and being caught in a two and a half hour (real) snow induced traffic jam in the road to Truckee! These flakes were not delicate little flower petals either – they were massive fluffy feathers (swan down I’d say) that transformed each tree into a marshmallow cartoon of itself. I wish I had snapped some photos but it was near midnight and the mood in the car was tense and tired. At least I had all that surreal beauty to distract me from my phobia of winter roads.

So why mention this in an art blog? It’s about drawing playful parallels. Clearly, by seeing the falling petals as snowflakes I brought on the real thing – that’s what makes me an artist and not a scientist!

Plum Blossoms and Arbor- Marie Cameron 2015

Plum Petals on the Ground - Marie Cameron 2015

Donner Lake Pass - Caltrans 2/27/15

Truckee Snowflakes - Marie Cameron 2015

Truckee Tree - Marie Cameron 2015            Truckee View  - Marie Cameron 2015             Truckee Trees - Marie Cameron 2015

Truckee Trees in Snow - Marie Cameron 2015

Truckee Snow - Marie Cameron 2015

Truckee Snow Ball - Marie Cameron 2015

Truckee Snowball - Marie Cameron 2015

Last Rays of Sun - Marie Cameron 2015

It’s great to visit the snow for a day or two, especially when you know spring is only a short ride down the mountain.