Just as warm summer day skies seemed almost too blue, a soothing monsoon set it, extending this season’s bountiful blooms.
Linkins Lake – Independence Pass
Secret Tarns – up the Frying Pan
Pass-top Tarn – Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness
Locals Favorite – Savage Lakes
Not quite backcountry – but becoming one with nature…
Early June was a magical time to be painting en plein air in Redstone, Colorado. The artists were graciously hosted by Joy Springfield of the Redstone Art Gallery. Local businesses contributed, and several of us were fortunate to be accommodated … Continue reading
Jesse and I spent 18 days of “WOW” amidst the colorful towering rock landscapes of southwest Utah. We backpacked, hiked, car-camped, and enjoyed a few nights with showers in small towns. The following is a selection of images from my diary of the trip.
Jesse enjoyed the views from an alcove at Red Cliffs.
Our early campsite was at Pyramid Ridge Campground. We enjoyed our fresh flowers.
Our first backpack was along La Verkin Creek, in northwest Zion. I forgot my watercolor paints, but explored with pencil, and even rendered rock formations with Rooibos tea! Later, at Watchman Campground in Zion National Park, I was happy to have my 12-color half-pan Winsor Newton travel watercolor set in-hand again.
I returned home with many dramatic impressions of rock, including having seen petroglyphs (art pecked into rock) that we visited along the way.
Two new spring works for the Glenwood Springs Art Guild Show, inspired by my favorite landscapes. The first piece is titled “Convergence” and the second is called “Drawn to Glenwood”. (Media: watercolor and pencil)
This year’s Redstone Art Festival is from August 25 -27, 2023. I’m preparing a selection of work for display!
The best part of my fun time in Hawaii was adventuring with my son. And when he surfed, I sketched! A colored pencil and watercolor sketch of Diamond Head, Honolulu.
The 123,000-acre Holy Cross Wilderness is named for the craggy (and at times considered spiritual) “fourteener”, Mount of the Holy Cross. Glacial action that occured tens of thousands of years ago has carved steep cirques and dramatic cliff faces. This high-elevation landscape is also characterized by softer rolling terrain.
The Frying Pan valley provided me great hiking access to this area where fall foliage glowed
Amongst the folds and textures of ancient schists, granites and gneiss.
My feeling of being immersed in a wonderful ever-changing painting deepened as sunset colors caressed this watery landscape.
And after a starry half-moon night, I woke early to see the fleeting silvers and golds of sunrise.
The half-moon reminded me of the orange-gold of the previous night’s Alpenglow.
As the glaciers have melted, the amount of frozen water has diminished. Now, this area is repleat with lakes and tarns. It provides headwaters to many creeks and streams.
However, sadly, in places such as the Homestake Reservoir, this water has been impounded and diverted for use by Front Range cities. Further potential impoundments are possible and I urge readers to join in efforts to halt such proposals.
Always changing and growing, let’s be custodians of our wondrous, deeply-textured, life-giving, high-atitude landscapes!
It was forecast to be a wet week in the San Juans, but the two S’s felt that it’s always a good time to be in the mountains. After the last few dry, fiery summers, moisture would be welcome.
Early morning starts were essential to cover ground before the clouds expanded to join with the landscape below.
Mornings were clear, with a brilliant full moon.
We noted local occupants of the lake shores as we wandered their edges.
While light and water danced to the changes of day.
And flower petals glowed seductively against dark skies.
Mosses, lichens, sedges and rushes formed meadows and edges among the watery landscape.
Our silvery umbrellas like sentinels, reminded us of the night’s rain storm.
Still the mists swirled while colors unfurled.
It was to be an atmospheric weekend, loping along the Venable-Comanche loop in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado.
We had an enjoyable, scenic walk up the Venable valley, but as we neared Venable Lake, stormy weather surrounded us.
We quickly discovered that the most sheltered camp near the lake was also home to overly curious marmots and a bunny. It required convincing dissuasion to keep them away from our salt-enriched belongings. They found our pole handles and backpack straps particularly enticing.
Sunrise was misty and magical. We headed uphill towards the Phantom Terrace.
True to its name, the Phantom Terrace disappears into its rocky surrounds. There are a few tantalizing seeps along the way.
We chose to wait out the stormy afternoon at Comanche Lake and were rewarded with bright morning light the following day.
It was a perfect time to climb Comanche Peak at 13,200 feet. We had views to peaks and valleys on both sides of the montain range.
Summer flowers added to the beauty of the landscape.
As did the lakes, tarns and flowing creeks.
And all too soon, the day of our departure dawned.
I’ve wandered through diverse landscapes this summer – from attending a wedding at Boston’s Harbor Islands, to discovering a miner’s cabin high in the Hunter-Frying Pan Wilderness. I enjoyed painting the Crystal River near Redstone, CO at a Plein Air Festival, and outlining Mt Sopris from Red Hill, above Carbondale. Here is a sampling of watercolors:
