Snow and winter? I still have mixed feelings about it. I'm from France, where winters are mostly rainy and mild. But then I moved to New England, where snowstorms are like something out of a fairy tale. Even after two decades, I still get giddy when it snows!

Now, winter sports? not my thing. I find the cold and wet conditions too uncomfortable. Unlike those folks with nostalgic tales of snowball fights and sledding, I missed out on all that fun.

As an artist who loves painting outdoors in the mild weather of the Loire Valley, snow poses a bit of a problem. I mean, I'd love to capture its beauty on canvas, but let's be real, I'm not exactly a snow whisperer. But there was one special moment when my husband was driving, and I was in the passenger seat. The morning after a snowfall, the sunlight was just perfect. I whipped out my phone and I quickly snapped several photos with my phone. That very evening, I started painting like there was no tomorrow. Talk about a thrilling artistic adventure!