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Carriage Ride at Rotary Lights, La Crosse is an 11×14″ oil painting inspired by a cherished holiday tradition in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. If you’ve ever visited Riverside Park during December, you know the Rotary Lights aren’t just lights—they’re an experience.
The scene captures a horse-drawn carriage trotting gently through the park, beneath a wash of glowing reds, golds, and wintry blues. The snow is subtle, the air is crisp, and everything is cast in the kind of glow that makes time slow down.
This piece was painted from memory after visiting the lights with my family. I wanted to bottle that feeling—the cool of the night, the warmth of the lights, and the sense that everyone around you is leaning into joy just a little more than usual.
It’s painted in my post-impressionist style, with rich color, emotive brushwork, and an intentional softness that makes it feel like a dream or a memory — not a photograph. That’s how it felt to me, and I think that’s why this painting resonates so well as a keepsake.
If you’re a La Crosse local, this might be part of your annual ritual. If you’re a tourist who’s ever ridden that carriage or walked those glowing paths with someone you love, this piece becomes something more: a visual memory.