A stand of birch, back lit in yellow light, was a pleasure to discover on a snow shoe excursion one sunny February morning.  Some morning hikes often provide an array of landscapes with compositions and lighting conditions that inspire paintings.   That morning was one such event.  In creating this little oil painting I utilized looser brush work and the implementing of the pallette knife for sharp edges and graphic effect on the birch trees.  This piece was interesting enough and the subject matter readily available that I will be planning more.  Who knows what the next snow shoe outing will produce.