Farmhouse in the Snow c. 1920

Helene Mass made this print, Farmhouse in the Snow, sometime in the early 20th century. Look closely, and you can almost feel the bite of winter, smell the woodsmoke, and hear the crunch of boots on packed snow. This isn’t some grand landscape painting, it's a small, intimate glimpse into a quiet moment. The colours are muted, mostly browns and greys, with just a hint of blue on the porch. Mass’s marks are deliberate, each one carefully placed. Imagine her standing there, maybe from a window, observing this humble scene. Was she thinking about the people inside, warm and safe from the cold? What was her state of mind? This image reminds me of other artists like, say, Lois Dodd, who found beauty in the everyday. There is an ongoing conversation happening, across time and between artists. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before, each of us adding our own voice to the chorus. Mass invites us to slow down, pay attention, and find beauty in the most unexpected places.