Wilcox taught at the Cleveland School of Art, using his vacation time to travel extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and parts of Canada. As a passenger, since he never learned to drive, Wilcox was able to sketch endlessly during his travels, becoming a chronicler of all he saw. In his work, Wilcox described how he was painting Light, weather, and the sense of space. He believed that all art was an emotional experience, and that the forms in nature must be interpreted rather than copied. "Ice Storm" is a great example of this — though not a detailed, realistic representation of a landscape, it instead presents an emotional experience with its dark, purple and gray atmosphere, describing a foreboding storm.