Sheep at rest

Sheep at Rest is an 8x10 oil painting created in December 2022 on a birch panel. Captured on the quiet outskirts of Viroqua, Wisconsin, this scene shows a trio of sheep resting peacefully under a bare-limbed tree while early winter light spills across the frosted ground. It’s a moment of stillness—intimate, rural, and steeped in the kind of quiet beauty that only a Midwest winter can offer.

This was one of those moments that caught me off guard while out on a backroad drive. The tree had no leaves left, but its structure was beautiful, and the sheep—clustered beneath it in a little crescent of warmth—looked as though they'd settled in for a long pause. The long morning shadows stretched like stage lighting, accenting the angles of the barn, the furrows in the earth, and the subtle contours of the animals’ wool.

The composition draws the viewer inward with low horizon lines and a deep, earthy palette—burnt umber, slate gray, pale gold. The brushwork is loose but intentional, inspired by the traditions of post-impressionist landscape painting. You won’t find photographic precision here—just suggestion, rhythm, and tone.

This is a piece for anyone who finds comfort in rustic scenes, rural solitude, or the understated beauty of animals at rest. Whether you're local to the Driftless region or simply drawn to the emotional warmth of pastoral life, Sheep at Rest is a small but powerful meditation on peace, place, and the hush of winter.