Artist’s Point, as the name implies, is one of the most grand vistas for painters and photographers in all of Washington. From this viewpoint, snowy mountains stretch away in every direction. There’s a painting everywhere you look. The huge parking lot at the end of the road was jammed with vacationers, tourists, hikers, and artists.
I camped along the Nooksack River at a campground about 40 minutes from Artist’s Point, and spent two days painting with my friends from Plein Air Washington Artists. The weather was sunny and hot, even up at such a high elevation. As a result, the washes dried very quickly, making it difficult to make the painting flow together. After several disappointing paintings, I tried soaking the back of the paper with water before I began painting. This helped a lot.
I made three paintings each day, but this was the only one I was remotely satisfied with. Despite my struggles, the experience of being in the high mountains was well worth the trip. I’ll be back another year.
Beautiful!
Why do you think mountains exert such a pull on us?
For me, wilderness has always had an attraction, probably because we spent so much time camping and outdoors when we were kids.
For society, I think we need an antidote to “civilization.” Too much time in artificial environments leaves us yearning for the natural environment our ancestors knew. Maybe it’s something deep in our genes, I don’t know.
You’re teaching me a lot about watercoloring. I share your love with those high mountain vistas. You are fortunate to have these experiences.
One reason I like watercolor painting outdoors is that it combines my love of nature with my love of painting. Good combination! And you’re right, I’m lucky.
Wow! Three paintings each day! Did you have to hike far with all your supplies???
On the first day, I was within 100 yards of my car. After one painting, I just tuned to face another direction and voila, there was my next subject!
On the second day, I packed my gear up a trail that gave me a better view of the mountains. I had to take a breather before I got to where I was going. My gear is fairly compact, but it’s not something I want to lug for a mile.
I would like to hear some more about the details of your painting process–how you start, why you start there, and what sorts of things you say to yourself as you paint!
First, I have to identify my subject. This can take me a long time and can be very frustrating. Sometimes I can’t find a focal point. Sometimes the scene is too complex for me to tackle. Sometimes it jumps right out at me.
Then I make a value study in my sketchbook. I “frame” the subject, deciding what to leave out and what to include. Then I sketch the scene and add the values: light, medium dark, and dark. Then I make a cross in the center of the sketch.
I set up the easel and mark the center of my watercolor with an X and transfer the sketch onto the watercolor paper. All this takes a lot of left-brain, rational thinking.
Then I paint. This is the fun part. With the brush I can be a lot more intuitive and let my right brain take over. When I encounter a problem, then I have to slip back into problem-solving mode and figure out what to do. Hopefully it all works out!