A Winter's Cottage

A Winter's Cottage

About This Artwork

As I look back over my development as an artist, I come to realize how important the trip Nanette and I and our two oldest girls made to the English Cotswolds early in our marriage really was to my self-discovery.

The rustic charm of the thatch-roofed cottages like A Winter's Cottage, the solidity of their massive stone walls, the way a golden, welcoming light poured through their ample windows - it all came to represent "the simple life" for me, long before I began to use that phrase to express my philosophy of living.

I varied my painting technique on that trip as well. I've come to recognize that A Winter's Cottage is one of my early examples of my Impressionist style. It may even be said that my Impressionist persona, Robert Girrard, made his first appearance in the English countryside.

I painted Nanette and Merritt posing in the snowy yard. They are emboldened by the nearby A Winter's Cottage to face the bracing challenge of the storm. The comfort and security of family life allow one to embrace the tests the world offers with courage and spirit.

About the Artist

Robert Girrard

Robert Girrard

Thomas Kinkade painted for six years as Robert Girrard, exploring Impressionist color, energetic brushwork, and everyday scenes—experiments that shaped the signature style behind the Painter of Light.

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