Ruby Lake From Above

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This is the last one (that turned out) from my trip to the Sierra Nevada Mountains last month. This one is from a solo day hike to Ruby Lake (from base camp at Garnet Lake). I found this scene not far from the trail, and while this trail is not heavily trafficked, for some reason a bunch of people walked by right as I was in the very ugly beginning stages of this painting. I was working fast because this light was changing by the minute. And some guy said, "Oh, are you painting?" Ummm, yes. "What you are you painting?" This scene. "Are you going to paint the whole thing?" Nope. "Which part are you going to paint?" Uhhh, it's hard to explain? 

At this point I think the inflection in my voice, and the fact that I turned my back to him so I could focus, convinced him to stop asking questions. The next time I looked back he was gone. Sorry dude. I'm not great at answering questions when I'm painting.

I was only able to get a rough sketch and some color notes that day. I took a bunch of pictures and finished it in my studio. I'm really happy with how the blue shimmers against the green.

Up and Over 1 & 2

 

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Next up from the Sierras are two very similar paintings. I started one of them outside, on location, on a slightly smoky day, near the beginning of the trip. The wind started to pick up that day, which ended up blowing out the smoke, but also blew over a couple of easels, including mine. This was incredibly frustrating, mostly because up to that point my painting was going really well. But my turp can was emptied (all over myself and my new backpack!), so I had no choice but to return to camp to get more. But by then the light had changed and I knew that to finish the painting it would have to be on another day.

So I returned a couple days later, at the same time of day, only to find my scene had changed considerably without the smoke. I ended up repainting it quite a bit, and the result is this second painting below. And I really like it, but I also liked the original feel, so I painted another one at home, from photos and memory, and that is the painting above.

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The Sheer Face of It

 

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This is another perspective/format of the same rocks and water (at Ruby Lake), a little later in the day, after a lunch break. They say the middle of the day is the worst time for landscape painting because the light is boring. But if you're an outdoor still life painter, I would argue that you can still find plenty.

Ruby Lake Rocks

 

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Another one from my Sierra trip. On this day I wanted to hike to Ruby Lake, which was quite a trek. I asked all my painting pals and had no takers, so I did it by myself. It was a lovely day. The shadows on these rocks changed super fast, so I took lots of pictures as I painted, and clarified it a bit more in my studio. I seem to be more interested in what I call "outdoor still lifes" than "landscapes."

Atop the Granite

 

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Here is another painting from my August trip into the Sierras. It was done mostly on location, with just a few small touch-ups back in my studio. This spot is about 10 minutes from base camp, and one of my favorite granite outcroppings. Over the years I've painted it from several different angles.

Perhaps because our group is getting older, about half decided to ride horses in this time. I hiked in, but rode a horse out. Here is a picture of the in-riders. One benefit of riding is that instead of always watching where you're stepping next, you can look around and appreciate the view. The downside is that afterwards you're sore in places you didn't even know you had!

Early Rocks

 

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Hi there! I got home from my California trip last week, but have been so busy with visits from relatives, helping a friend move, and catching up in general that I haven't had a chance to post, much less touch up any paintings. Until today. To the right you will see my illustrious, Sierra, painting pals (names below), and above is the first painting I did (a morning scene). We hiked to Garnet Lake this year. As usual, we carried our art gear and mules hauled our camping gear, food and (fabulous) cook. We camped for 5 days in the same spot, pitching our easels where/whenever we felt inspired, making sure to roll back into camp in time for cocktails and dinner. Every year we say it was the "trip of a lifetime," and this was no exception. The place is amazing, but the people put it over the top.

Pictured (L to R): Mark Fehlman, Cleo Villett, Kim Lordier, Terry Miura, Michele de Braganca, Bill Cone, Tia Kratter, Scott Hamill, myself, Karen (cook), Elizabeth (cook's daughter), & Paul Kratter.

A Tree with a View

 

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Another Sierra scene. Did I mention that it's a painter's paradise up there?

More Cloud than Mountain

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This is from one of my gazillion Sierra references. I get totally different composition ideas from my photos than I did from being there in person. Not better necessarily - just different.

Just Around the Lake

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Four times now, over the years, I have hiked way up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and painted with friends, for a week each time. There are no words to describe how wonderful each and every trip has been. I've taken lots of photos, and have been poring over them lately because ... I'm not going this year. : (

The reference for this particular painting was taken on a day when I was painting by myself on the opposite side of the lake from camp. The clouds were spectacular, so I clicked away, but I also quickly realized that the clouds were getting darker. So I hoofed it around the lake just in time to dive into my tent. My nap lasted just as long as the rain, and then I was out and painting again. BTW, This is my biggest gouache painting yet! Woo!

2 More Gouaches

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Here are 2 more gouaches. The top one is from Blodgett overlook again, south of Missoula, a different view this time.

The bottom one is from the Sierra Nevadas. It's from a photo but I have a wonderful memory of the moment I took it. I had just spent most of the day way up above the lake (and camp) painting by myself, and as I was hiking back, completely satisfied, a smile plastered to my face, the sun low on the horizon, I was stopped in my tracks by this scene. I didn't have time to paint it, so I snapped a few pictures and carried on my way, just in time to enjoy some wine (and dinner I guess) with my paintings buds. Life is good.

Rainbow Pond

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Last one! Last painting from my Sierra trip. And I personally think it's one of the best. It's from the upper pond, which my friends are now calling "Marine Pond," or "UltraMarine pond," but I'm calling this one "Rainbow Pond" because of all the colors.

Here's the whole crew. What a trip!

Calm Reflections

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This is a scene about 5 minutes from camp, our local pond. I've painted many scenes around this pond, but rocks star in all of them.

Convergence

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I'm honored to be featured in the November issue of Artists Magazine! A four page spread, no less. Or would you call that eight? Dude. Regardless, I'm on cloud nine!

Morning Rocks

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I found this scene just a few steps from camp (in the Sierra's), in the morning, before breakfast. This was the only time I painted so early on this trip. I tend to shy away from painting too close to sunrise/sunset, just because the light changes so fast. Maybe someday I'll get more brave. This was perhaps an hour or so after sunrise, and the light on these particular rocks didn't change a whole lot. That said, I still had to make some adjustments back in the studio - again mostly darkening the shadows.

Mountain Layers

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Here is another Sierra painting that I worked on more back in the studio. The biggest thing I changed was darkening the values of the shadow in the foreground. The reality is that as we look around at the world, our vision adjusts to the varying lighting conditions. When we look into shadow our pupils adjust (open) to see more there, and as we look into light areas, they adjust the other way. So when we paint, if we're not careful, our values can all start to fall in the mid range, without enough contrast. That's what happened here, but fortunately I was able to make the adjustments at home. Woo!

Just What's Showing

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Hello! We are finally home from camping and, well it's one of those times we need a vacation from our vacation. : ) So I'm happy to still have some paintings left to post from my Sierra trip.

This was actually the very first one I did, or a version of it. From here on I will show you paintings that weren't 100% completed on site. I did some work after I got home, adjusting colors, values, shapes, etc. One problem we had out there, as I mentioned before, was constant mosquito's. My solution was to wear loose, long sleeve shirts and pants, and a mosquito net over my head, pretty much all the time. The net was black, so it affected how I saw a bit (though I forgot about it most of the time).

Honestly, this was my best "haul" of all our Sierra trips, and the only time I wore a net while I painted. So I'm considering wearing it every time I paint! What do you think? : )

My Five O'Clock Appointment

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I'm off on my trip, but I pre-posted this one painting. This is a spot I painted years ago, on my first trip into the Sierras. The first painting was done in the morning, and this was late afternoon, so the light was completely different. You may not even recognize it as the same place. Well, and this new view is shifted over a bit to the right. They do share one tree.

At any rate, it was late enough in the afternoon that the light was changing very fast, so I only had time for a quick lay-in. This was on the second to last day of our trip, so I knew I had to get back to the same spot the next day if I wanted to finish it. So I went around the next day telling everyone I had a 5 o'clock appointment I couldn't miss. They laughed but understood, since several of them had similar "appointments."

I got there early, around 4, set up, and sat in the shade while I waited. Eventually I got bored, so I started working on the areas in the light, and the distant mountains. After that I started really trying to design the rocks in a pleasing way, because the reality was a little awkward, which is often the case outside. I ended up learning a lot more this way, because it made me really THINK about what I was doing, especially the design/composition. Before I knew it, the whole thing had come together, and it wasn't even 5 yet! I waited a little while longer to make sure the value relationships were all "correct," packed it up, and hiked back to camp for a G&T.

I will resume shipping again as late as 9/18/19.

Peekaboo Mountain

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I still have more to show you from my trip up into the Sierras, but this one I actually did after I got home, from a photo reference. I am showing it to you now because I painted it for this month's Daily Paintworks Challenge. If you'd like a crack at this scene (or rocks in general, which is the theme of the challenge), follow the link for the reference. Anyone is welcome to submit to our challenges!

I hate to bail in the middle of posting my mountain paintings, but I am off to squeeze just one more camping adventure out of this summer. This trip is all about family, and not painting. : ( It also means I won't be able to ship until I return, which will be as late as 9/18/19 (2 weeks). I apologize for the inconvenience!

Moving Water

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This was a quicker moving creek, from the smaller pond to the waterfalls. It's difficult to paint what the moving water looks like, because it is constantly changing. But I figured it's the same with waves, and people manage to paint that. So I gave it my best.

Red Rock Creek

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Here's another creek scene from the upper pond (in the Sierra Nevada mountains). This was the little creek that flowed from the "big" pond, to a smaller pond, down through a series of waterfalls, and eventually to Garnet Lake, which we were camped beside. I know, lucky me, huh?