Plein air in Denali National Park, Part I

Right after Labor Day I made my annual plein air painting trip to Denali National Park. In past years I have camped at the west end of the park road, and concentrated on the views in the vicinity of Wonder Lake. This year I stayed on the east end, car camping at Teklanika campground, and riding the green buses west to my painting site.

I also changed how I worked. Previously I painted as many small panels as I could during my week in the park. This year I decided to go for the big picture. I set up at Polychrome Pass on the first day, and spent the entire time on one painting.


Because I was riding the bus with all my gear every day, I needed a way to carry a large wet painting without completely disturbing the paint, my fellow passengers, and the wonderful bus drivers. My solution was to use two 16 x 20 panels. I clamped them together to make a 16 x 40 surface, and packed them in a 16 x 20 panel carrier for the trips to and from camp.

I also ordered a new easel, and I was really happy with it. This design is called a Take-It-Easel, and is beautifully made. The first painting day was difficult, with wind gusts up to 40 mph. My easel was steady! The weight of my paint box anchored it well. I went for the original rather than the cheaper knock-offs, and am glad I did.

I also carried a piece of heavy cardboard, measuring about 10 x 30, to help brace the outer edges of the panels. That was the most awkward item to carry on the bus. However, once the panels were clamped in place, all was well. Until that moment I had to throw big rocks on whatever I needed to put down to have a free hand.

Here's my notebook with rocks and my foot, since both hands are holding the camera. No matter how hard the wind blows, I make my Munsell notations. For those who are interested in such things, the view was very much in the 5YR range, with some variations in the YR and R hues. Luckily, I used my notes from last year to mix up and bring what I needed.

I chose Polychrome Pass primarily for that great sweep of glacial plain, with rivers, mountains, snow, skies, and weather. My second reason was human presence. Every one of the many buses traveling the park road stops at Polychrome Pass. I met 50 - 60 friendly and enthusiastic people a day, had my picture taken about 20 times a day, and ran out of business cards. Next time I'm bringing at least 300.

I figured that, because of the many buses, the wildlife might choose to be elsewhere most of the time. As much as I like to see wildlife, I preferred to see wildlife at a respectable distance.


Once I had spent a few days there, my attitude shifted a bit. There was a bear close by for several days, and I am sure the bear knew of my presence, but like all the other bears in the area, my bear was too busy putting on fat for the coming winter to indulge in idle curiosity. Just in case, though, I kept the bear spray on a belt around my waist.

Before long, just about everyone in the park knew about the crazy woman standing out in the wind 5 or 6 hours a day, easy to see from a distance in her bright yellow rain gear.

Many thanks to Mr. Rob Chambers for the photo at the top of the post, and to the kind person who took this one with my camera! More photos in Part II, coming soon.

A wildlife commission

I don't think of myself as a wildlife artist, but every now and then I get a commission for a wildlife piece.

The task is to depict the subject accurately, in a characteristic pose and setting, with a sense of life and liveliness. I don't think it's at all easy. My hat is off to artists who dedicate their careers to this work.

The bird in the painting is a Bohemian Waxwing. We get them in flocks during the winter. They love the mountain ash berries above all others.



This is the painting at the beginning. It was a second beginning. There was actually another start, which I discarded when I realized I had misjudged the composition. I started over on this new panel. The good thing about starting over is that it goes much faster once the problems have been sorted out.



When I was a volunteer at our local wild bird rehabilitation center, I made some sketches of a bohemian waxwing who was our guest. I used other references to pin down details, especially the color notes. If you look closely you will see my Munsell notations for various parts of the bird. Waxwings have the most beautiful subtle coloring, with very gradual transitions from one hue to another. Their plumage has a fantastic smoothness.

I have not posted for some time because I was traveling out of the country. Now I am about to make my annual trek to Denali National Park, so I hope to have some good photos to post in a few weeks.

6" x 8"
oil on linen panel
SOLD

Demontration from First Friday: Elemental

I'm calling this painting Elemental. I painted it at Upstairs Studio on June 3, First Friday. It was an open studio night, so visitors could come into my workspace and observe. I amazed myself by completing the painting in about 8 hours, while also taking time out to talk to visitors about what I was doing.

I wanted to do something with harmonious, subdued color. The stones seemed ideal subjects for such a project. The background I used was an old watercolor landscape of mine, turned upside down. The sky colors of that old piece were just what I wanted in this new one. I considered leaving the curved shape of the paper, but the landscape qualities of the background persuaded me to give the piece a horizon instead.


As you can see from the progress photos, I eventually eliminated one element (a tiny leaf). I felt, in the end, that it did not contribute much to the overall feel of the piece.


Here is my starting step. You can still faintly see the grid I painted first, to help organize the composition. Then I sketched in the main shapes, and finally drew them in with soft charcoal.

News Flash: I am the featured artist in Alaska Home Magazine's summer issue. It will be on news stands in a few days, and when the online version is published, I will send out the link to all my friends and fans. You will find the article on pages 68 and 69.


10" x 8" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com