The Edge

Well, I finished it! About two weeks ago (perhaps longer maybe) I did a small 6x6 piece of a mountain goat standing on the edge of a drop off. I finished the full size painting Friday night. The full size painting is a sheet of watercolor paper, 22x30. Looking at them side by side, I see things I like about both pieces. While I love the horizontal format of the full size piece, the square size of the study seems more intimate. Both give a feeling of being on the edge of a cliff with a large mountain behind in their own unique way.

I figured I should share the inspiration for this piece. I went on a hike in Glacier and the end of last summer called Siyeh Pass. It's an 8 1/2 mile hike that loops around from one part of Going to the Sun hwy to another part. You end up gaining 2135 ft in elevation and are at 7911 at the highest point on the hike. There was a lot of smoke in the air from forest fires within several hours of the location (I think there were 4 that smoke was being blown from) but it created a really neat look. Hope you enjoy the picture that inspired this piece as well as some others I took from the hike.

My friends, at the highest point and the picture that inspired the painting.

I'm at the top. Yup, this is me!

Mmmmmmmm, Huckleberries. One of the best things about hiking in the mountains. Such a delicious treat on a hot hike

so that point, straight above my friends head (to the left of the 'peak'), that is pretty where I was in that picture with my arms stretched out, except I was on the east side, not the west side shown in this pic

Weekend Works

Dance With The Flowers

Well, here is the flower & butterfly piece I had planned this weekend. Didn't really turn out like I wanted it to, but I still like the result! It's amazing how differently soft press and cold press WC paper work. I was wanting it to have a certain look that I realized (after the first few brush strokes) I could more easily achieve if I were working with cold press. There is a deadline for an exhibit with a gardening theme in Bozeman that I will submit this piece to.

The Edge (study)

This small piece (6x6) is a study for a larger piece I have planned. I want to do a full sheet, 22x30 and this was to give myself an idea of what it would look like. That being said, the scale is so dramatic that it might have an entirely different feel and look. This one will take me awhile I think.

Happy Sunday everyone!