Winter Light in North Texas: Painting Through Ice and Cold
Isaiah 55:10 – “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven… so is my word that goes out from my mouth.”
©Laurie Pace Graphics One Design 2026
Winter Beauty
by Laurie Pace
While the weather outside might look deceptively beautiful, it is anything but gentle. At two degrees in North Texas, sleet has fallen thick and heavy, transforming patios and yards into massive skating rinks. Overnight, despite honeycomb shades and blackout curtains, the reflected light from the ice made it seem as though the outdoors was illuminated all night long. When I rose around four a.m. to check the faucets, I couldn’t resist peeking outside—four to five inches of sleet covered everything, brilliant and unforgiving.
Inside, the studio tells a different story. On the easel, the painting is alive with color, worked boldly with a palette knife, offering warmth where the landscape cannot. Though the sun has emerged this morning, there will be no thaw—only strong north winds and another full day spent indoors. Winter storms have a way of slowing life down, narrowing the focus, and asking us to adapt.
We begin the day simply. My husband made fresh hot oatmeal with flax seed, apples and raisins cooked in and delicious homemade butter biscuits—an ideal start to a cold morning. These moments of routine and creativity help anchor us during extreme weather, reminding us that even in the harshest conditions, there is comfort to be found in warmth, art, buttered biscuits and shared time. Elle
Laurie is an international artist, her paintings are collected in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, DuBai, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, St Thomas, Romania, Greece, Croatia, and Ecuador.
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