It was an icy cold, windy day and the trees were covered with fresh snow. The fallen trees created graphic images silhouetted against the pristine white show. The dancing shadows and the reflection of the trees on the water in the brook were musical in essence and I was mesmerized by the stark, peaceful scene for a few minutes. Suddenly, the ducks erupted into sound – quacking and diving under the icy water. The contrast of the peaceful scene and the life happening on the water’s surface was compelling and I knew I wanted to capture it in watercolor.