Watercolor: Still Life in Winter

Still Life in Winter by Charles Burchfield is an example of watercolor. Burchfield also used some pencil in the painting, and the painting was done on mounted paperboard. The painting was done during the period considered Burchfield's "Late Work," and may have been prompted by a psychological break around the time he turned 50.  His work during this time was marked by bright colors contrasting with almost haunting images. In this painting, the stark-white beauty of the owl contrasts with the dead plants in the background, an almost perfect analogy for winter.