Mont Blanc and the Aiguille

This tall, vertical painting depicts the Aiguille du Midi rising dramatically above a foreground of massive, snow-laden pine trees. The pines - painted in dark, heavy masses - occupy the lower third of the composition, establishing a powerful sense of depth and scale that pulls the eye upward toward the peak. The Aiguille itself is treated with dark charcoals, blacks, and brilliant whites capturing fresh snowfall on the distinctive serrated ridge. The telecom mast at the summit is visible, and the characteristic arete leading to the Vallee Blanche can be traced in the composition. The sky is pale, atmospheric, and cool - a restrained backdrop that lets the mountain and trees speak without competition. Despite the size of the canvas, the painting was produced in a single public session at the Ski Show, and carries the committed energy of working without hesitation.

I painted this at the Ski Show - in public, on a very large canvas, with people watching. That changes the way you work. You commit faster, you second-guess less, and the result is often more alive than studio work. After the show, the painting was donated to Cancer Research UK and raised £3,500 at auction. The pine trees in the foreground were a late decision - the mountain needed grounding, something to give the viewer a sense of where they are standing. Once they went in, the whole scale of the painting locked into place. The Aiguille du Midi is one of those mountains that is almost impossible to paint badly - it has such a strong silhouette and such a clear personality that it finds its way into the composition naturally.