Parrish blue

Winter Sunrise by Maxfield Parrish

That mountain reminds me of Pikes Peak, seen from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.

Yesterday afternoon at about 4, a crack in the clouds opened on the western horizon just as the sun was going down.  For a minute, our soggy neighborhood was glowing with that unearthly blue and gold light that Parrish paintings are famous for.

He's better known for his mythical story paintings, adored by hippies in the 1960's, but Parrish loved doing landscapes later in life. His complicated method involved applying numerous layers of transparent oil alternating with varnish on stretched paper, which gives that extraordinary detail, depth and luminosity. It's like looking through a window into a fairy tale world.

Christmas Morning by Maxfield Parrish

Parrish was a prolific artist, despite his perfectionism and the long time it took to complete a painting. His early magazine covers are so whimsical.  Here's a few holiday examples from December Life.