Looking for Unexpected Compositions

Winter at Bear Lake, 9 x 12, oils.

There were more spectacular vistas to be seen on my visit to Bear Lake last month but sometimes it's not about the postcard or calendar image. This time I was looking for interesting shapes of light and shadow and found them with this snow covered hill and the group of dramatic trees jutting up. I ended up simplifying the scene by removing some scraggly brushes and small trees. They weren't what the painting was about. There's also a frozen waterfall on the lower left that might have competed for attention if I'd rendered it more. I might paint it by itself someday. Snow is fun to paint but I feel like I have a lot to learn.