This winter was my first full winter as an oil painter. And, as I scoped the scenery for reference photos or places to paint on location, I found myself looking for and noticing more colors than just gray and brown. There was burnt sienna – a rich, reddish brown – everywhere. There were patches of icy green moss and lichen running along trees and ground. The sky was often blue, but on cloudy days, I tried to determine the exact hue of the clouds. Was the gray more leaning towards…