Almost New Year moon

12/30/11. 7:45 pm. looking up to the west north west

Here's the waxing gibbous moon at 42 percent illumination last evening at about 7:45 pm. Couldn't wait any later to paint it because by 8:30 it was covered in clouds. You can see the beginnings of the cloud migration in this painting.

I think that the night's silvery tone was also a thin layer of cloud across the sky. A very magical winter moon indeed.