I’ll admit upfront—I’m not exactly Olympic-caliber on skis. I especially loved getting off the lift and creating a pileup. Now I enjoy the beauty of snow without stressing out. And for that, there’s nothing more magical than the Sierras after a big storm.

Sierra Style was inspired by just such a post-storm morning at Palisades Tahoe, formerly Squaw Valley. Squaw was a struggling operation with just one chairlift before shocking the ski world— and themselves—by winning the bid for the 1960 Winter Olympics. The Games brought international attention to views so stunning they deserved medals of their own, and Tahoe catapulted from a rugged ski hideout to a world-class destination still overflowing with character. And powder.

Snowfall of Legend

And I mean powder. Rivaling Vail and Aspen, Tahoe is famous for its snowfall—truly the stuff of legend. When conditions are right, the storms unload feet of fresh powder. And this I know firsthand. Determined to make a skier out of myself, I lived in Truckee during the winter of 2011, when snowfall was double the norm (443 vs 207 inches). Historical records, not to mention whole houses, were buried in white confection. It was like a pastry chef had gone mad.

For Sierra Style, my first snow painting, I used thick dreamy brushstrokes depicting pink alpenglow, firs draped with icing, and the sun throwing a party in that great bowl of blue.

Art and Emotional Weather

Art is known to steady emotional storms. The frontal cortex and amygdala—guardians of mood and fear—sync into harmony when you gaze at art. Brain scans confirm what the soul knows: beauty eases anxiety and brightens emotional skies (Bolwerk et al., 2024).

If you find yourself craving snow that shushes the world, you don’t always need ski boots. Sometimes, a painting will do just fine.

Sierra Style, 42 in x 36 in, 2025, oil on canvas by Lauren Forcella

.

Thank you for reading. I warmly invite you to

Link to Sierra Style original

Browse prints of Sierra Style

Join my mailing list and be the first to see new work and hear about promotions