Stephanie Johnson (United States) www.stephjohnphoto.com www.facebook.com/stephjohnphoto www.instagram.com/stephjohnphoto

Winter Blues

“He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer 
will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter.”
~ John Buroughs, American Naturalist (1837-1921)

The title for this series is a play on a term that has a considerably different meaning for a lot of people at this time of year, but for me Winter Blues is a celebration of the season and an embracing of beautiful colors that can be found in winter, if only we take the time to look.

Winter is a time of energetic shifts, when the sun enters a new solar cycle, is reborn,  and begins to bring us more light.  It is a time for awakening to the inner yearnings of the soul and the inspirations that will eventually emerge from the promise of new beginnings.

Over the years, I’ve grown to love winter, and it’s now my favorite season.  There’s something about arctic cold temperatures and snow that make me feel alive…invigorated, rejuvenated…spiritually and physically, especially on a clear, sunny day, when the sky blues complement the snow whites so wonderfully.  My soul rejoices when I’m able to spend time  out in nature during winter, when most others won’t venture out...allowing me the freedom to enjoy, alone, the crisp air, magical light, and quiet solitude.

It is in winter, especially, that I have learned to see beauty where others see nothing more than a dreary landscape.  My creative work has been borne, in large part over the years, out of this inner yearning to connect with the landscape in winter to reveal the energetic essence of the lively beauty I see in winter.

So, this series is a celebration of my love of winter, and I hope it will inspire you to see winter in a new way, as well.

This season, in Iowa, we’ve had snow on the ground for a couple of months, now, and these images were taken on five different days, in three different locations, between January 1st and February 13th.

Series Panel

Click or Tap Any of the Images on this Page to View Larger

Perseverence	Perseverance "Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverence."  ~ Yoko Ono
Winter Beauty	Winter Beauty "It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it." ~ John Burroughs
Cleansing Snow	Cleansing Snow “Snow isn’t just pretty. It also cleanses our world and our senses, not just of the soot and grime of a mining town, but also of a kind of weary familiarity, a taken-for-granted quality to which our eyes are all too susceptible.”   ~ John Burnside
A Million Little Suns	A Million Little Suns "The snow is sparkling like a million little suns."  ~ Lama Willa Miller
Something Waits Beneath	Something Waits Beneath "I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape—the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."  ~ Andrew Wyeth
Snow Kisses	Snow Kisses "I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again." ~ Lewis Carroll
The Lessons of Winter	The Lessons of Winter "How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!"  ~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Celebration	Celebration “Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration.” ~ Anamika Mishra

Return to the ICMPhotoMag Beginnings Workshop Main Exhibition Page