Blanket of Snow – Oil on Linen Painting by Janice Lightowler

I had previously painted a shepherdess attending to a flock of sheep in deep winter, this led me back to the quiet beauty of sheep in the snow. The scene came to me quite by chance on the way to an exhibition, I saw a flock scattered across a snowy field, each animal entirely absorbed in its own world.
Sheep are often thought to follow aimlessly but these were full of individuality. Each had its own character, and the subtle colours of their fleeces made them distinct from one another which was enhanced by the absence of white in the piece. The absence of white might seem strange for sheep in a snow scene, however look closely and appreciate the complexity of the palette.
Not a single sheep took the same track. Like us, they were simply finding their own way to survive.
I have a family woollen blanket from the Second World War, that has travelled with me since my Guiding days. Like the sheep’s fleece, it is both protection and identity, the cold never penetrated the layers of wool.
In many ways, this painting is a tribute to that same sense of comfort we receive from others and the resilience that we develop ourselves.