Painting the Snow
by Vivian Drescher
The Experience
I find myself in the cold winter wood, slightly off the path. Looking ahead, I discover a gap in the trees basking in the light of the moon. The area, foreign to me; is it a lake or is it just a field? Will my feet fall beneath the ice finding cold solitude or is it frozen green grass? I take the risk of putting one foot in front of the other, plowing through the snow. I make it to the middle (of what I now can confidently assume is a field). With my legs tired I turn around and fall backwards like a child playing in the snow. The bank of snow where I fall puffs around me, sparkling without a sound. I lie in silence, gazing at the sky, which is speckled with balls of light. The wind howls through the trees. Their branches hit each other, drawing my attention. In the corners of my eyes the branches move, snow and ice cascading from their branches. The cold wind bites into my face beneath my scarf and I look for a way to hide from the wind. Changing my position I lie on my belly. From this view I can see each individual snowflake that piles on the other, refracting beams of moonlight, creating colors and shapes I never imagined. I lie there, finding peace in the serenity of it all.
The Painting
White, cold, and silent, the snow sleeps undisturbed. A figure lies in the snow face up, gazing into the abyss. The midnight blue sky is freckled with stars. The night is still bright, illuminated by the moon, its ancient face smiling down. The snow surrounds the body gently, without movement, frozen in time. The trees breathe with the body and the wind. Their arms reach for stars. They clank like chimes on a porch, the sound carried by the swirl of the snow. Snow flows, tumbling over the barren ground, glittering with blue, purples, and greens. Each sparkle a snowflake and each different, so microscopic yet so detailed. They pile up on each other, stacking up and up, forming a solid white plane. In this moment, the figure is at peace with the stillness of the world and the mind.
~
Vivian Drescher is a student studying Environmental Resources Engineering at SUNY Environmental and Forestry College. Her writing revolves around her connection to nature and her life experiences. Vivian Drescher often uses art such as oil paintings along with her writing. Her paintings and writing depict the beauty found in nature and aim to inspire others to care for the environment.
Featured image: Painting by Vivian Drescher, 2025.
Author’s Note: My inspiration for the piece came from an experience I had with SUNY ESF Environmental Resource Engineering Club. We host an annual trip to ESF’s Newcomb campus in January. Coming from northern New Jersey I had experienced my fair share of snow, but I wasn’t prepared for the awe I had for Adirondacks Snow. My time in a nearby clearing was unforgettable. It was simple but truly stunning and the painter in me studied. I tried to grasp everything I saw, so one day I could paint it from memory. I wrote my piece hoping my audience could obtain the same emotions and wonder that I had. I also wanted to portray the way my mind as a painter sees the world hoping others would enjoy my perspective.
