Painting Of A Stream: Snowmass Creek

Years ago, when we hiked Pikes Peak, my son, Adam, taught me the value of drinking water. Lots of water. He would randomly monitor my water bottles by checking them during rest stops as well as when we were on the move. He'd shake one and say, "Drink more. You're not drinking enough." It didn't take long for me to realize that hydration, along with calorie intake on a hike, determined how I felt until we reached our destination.

And so, when Robert and I backpacked in to Snowmass Lake last summer, I appreciated this pretty stream all the way up the mountain. Along with everything else at our campground, Snowmass Creek was beautiful. It was not only our important water source, it lulled me to sleep at night and was the first thing I heard when I woke up in the morning.

This is another painting completed for my Colorado Landscape series and will be for sale at G44Gallery in May!

Snowmass Creek
8 x 10", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson (c) 2014

Stage 1: Sketching in the composition with a thin wash of oil paint mixed with mineral spirits.

Stage 2: Blocking in the shapes. This underpainting helped me determine the colors for the rest of the painting. 

Stage 3: Adding more detail.

Stage 4: Completing the painting. Once I had added all the detail necessary for the underpainting, I began using more paint and applying some of it with a small palette knife; this was especially helpful with the flowers and their leaves.

Landscape Painting: Part 4, "Mt. Daly"Completed

Finishing a painting always reminds me of the sensations I had after completing a final test while in college. Happy and extremely relieved. I could hardly stand the pressure. I tried to think back to my high school days and can't remember my feelings at all about the tests back then (I must have really hated them). Ironically, now as a professional artist, I love the challenges of a painting deadline. In fact, I welcome them. Which is probably why I like doing commissioned paintings. There is usually a deadline involved and the pressure gets my adrenaline going which in turn gives me the energy and inspiration I need to see the creative project to completion.

This landscape painting was one of those challenges which I thoroughly enjoyed. The deadline gave me the excuse to paint night and day and ignore all my other day to day responsibilities.( I will admit that I still have to put some miscellaneous Christmas stuff away. Its all hidden in my laundry room.) A couple of times I painted in my pajamas for most of the day...it was very comfortable and guilt free.  But in the end, the painting was completed in time and was just barely dry enough to put it in the frame I had ordered. Two days later it was ceremoniously presented to a very deserving recipient.

Stage 8: Painting the foreground. I started by blocking in the grassy area with an under painting of a neutral green, leaving hints in the areas where the trees and rocks would go.

And then with a darker green, I blocked in the trees, rocks and then the stream.

 Stage 9: Applying the second layer of paint.Working wet on wet paint, I came in with a putty knife to apply the thicker paint that would give depth, color and texture.

Here is a closer look at Stage 9. From there, with a variety of brushes, I worked the colors into the canvas.

Mt. Daly
24 x 30", Oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson (c)2014

Landscape Painting: Mt. Daly, Part 3

As I continued on with the stages of this painting, each brush stroke took me further away from my present circumstances and gently pulled me back into the memories of that quiet summer morning. I began to feel as though I was there again. The air was fresh and clean after the night rain. All was quiet. As I looked up, I noticed that layers of tall trees framed each side of Mt. Daly.

Stage 6: Painting the trees. I decided to use a darker value of green to block in the shapes of the trees and then come back in with lighter colors to give definition.

My goal was to keep these initial shapes simple.

I experimented with the shapes of the light clouds hovering beneath the mountain.

It was time to leave the clouds alone and see how they looked after I put more trees in.

Stage 7: Adding details to the trees. Along with the pine trees was the contrast of the aspens. They helped define the space between them and the forest beyond (as well as giving variation in color and texture). I took out the low clouds; they felt like a distraction. 

Landscape Painting: Mt. Daly, Part 2

 Stage 2: Painting the sky. I started the sky by blocking it in with a somewhat thin layer of light gray-blue. While the paint was still fresh and wet, I painted the white clouds into it, softening the edges as I went. I enjoyed the subtle hints of pinks and lavender.

There was a fluffy, light cloud cover in the sky that morning, somewhat unusual for a Colorado summer morning. More often than not, its a solid blue sky. The random pattern of the openings in the clouds intrigued me with little bits of blue peeking through.

Stage 3: Painting the trees into the sky. To get the effect I wanted, painting wet paint onto wet paint, I realized that I had to paint at least the tops of the trees that overlapped and framed the edges of the sky.

Stage 4: Blocking in Mt. Daly. As we came upon this wilderness scene, with Mt. Daly looming in the distance, I was impressed with the light and how it was enhancing the colors of this peak. As I blocked in the colors I couldn't help thinking of it as a patchwork quilt.

Stage 5: Painting Mt. Daly. I loved what the clouds and sunlight were doing as random patterns of shadow and light moved across the mountain's form. The biggest challenge was giving enough visual information to make it interesting and believable but at the same time keeping it simple enough so that it didn't look tight and too detailed.

Landscape Painting: Mt. Daly, Part 1

Every January I look forward to the new year with excitement and anticipation. What will 2014 hold? Some of it is planned in advance with goals that have been in place for several months. I enjoy the new challenges. For example, I am ready to begin in earnest my "Colorado Landscape" series with an exhibit scheduled in early May at G44 Gallery. I am also looking forward to some commissioned portraits. And then there are the surprises. Paintings in my future that right now I am totally unaware of. Creative surprises in the new year. What will they be?

The first oil commission of this year falls right in line with my new landscape series. It brings back special memories of the backpacking trip my husband Robert and I took last summer. The reference photo for this painting was taken on the first day. I was so excited and in awe of the beauty that surrounded me. Before we had even reached the trail head I was captivated by this view: Mt. Daly looming straight ahead, welcoming me to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness in the White River National Forest.

Stage 1: Mt. Daly. Sketching in the composition freehand with a thin wash of Ultramarine Blue and Transparent Earth Red mixed with mineral spirits. This stage always seems like it can be loosely done but in reality I force myself to take great care and really think through the composition. This is a good time to do some problem solving while mentally creating a plan of action. My natural impulse it to rush through this stage telling myself that I will fix it later. While that is possible, it always takes more time and wastes energy.

Snowmass Lake Backpacking Trip

It has been two years since my first backpacking experience into the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness area. It was time to go again. In my backpack I carried our tent, extra clothing, my paint box, brushes, acrylic paints, water and then some "essentials": hot cocoa mix, graham crackers, marshmallows and dark chocolate. All together it was about 27 pounds. My husband, Robert, carried about twice that weight.

During the second half of the journey, there was a scary log jam to cross. It seemed harmless enough but as I picked my way across, the thought of slipping, falling and hurting myself crossed my mind many times. Getting wet was the least of my fears. Some of the logs held steady, others moved and dipped under my weight. My trekking poles came in very handy. Plant and step. I can live happily the rest of my life if I never have to cross another log jam - though I am quite pleased with myself that I did it. Twice. Coming and going. 

My reward was at the other side, a breathtaking path through wildflowers. I love Colorado!

After 6 1/2 hours of climbing over 3,000 feet, (with several breaks along the way), we arrived at the lake. 

Besides taking tons of reference photos my other goal was to paint a color study. (The next day while Robert fished, I painted.)  Snowmass Mountain loomed over our campground, so surreal in its majesty, it could not be ignored. I will use this study as a reference when I paint a larger, more accurate version.

Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Area Plein Air Painting

If someone ever asks you to backpack into the wilderness of Colorado to catch the last of the summer's wild flowers, eat freshly caught trout, and sleep under the stars...do it! For the past couple of years my husband, Robert, has been asking me to go. I have always been hesitant for numerous reasons (bears, mosquitoes, and the lack of flushing toilets, to name a few) but when he lured me with one of the amenities being incredible views for artists who enjoy plein air painting, I finally agreed that I had to try it. I could no longer ignore the beautiful photos that he and my son, Adam, took each time they went that were taken miles from the familiar and more accessible Colorado landscapes.

Since we did not set up camp until it was almost dark, I knew my opportunity to paint at our campsite would come first thing in the morning. After a delicious hot breakfast of oatmeal and tea, Robert set off to fish at the lake down below our campsite and I excitedly got out my acrylic paints, painter box and brushes to record this breathtaking view with the early morning light.

My little French easel was perfect for this adventure. It comes with leather straps and  has its own built in palette and space underneath to store small paintbrushes.

I settled in and began to paint quickly.

This mountain range before me was absolutely breathtaking. At that moment I knew that the five hour car ride, the additional two hour four wheel drive to the trail head of this remote area, and then the two hour hike to our campsite was all worth it.

I quickly painted in the shape of the mountains,

and then began working on the middle and foreground of trees, the lake and the the mountain side.

Once I had all of the major shapes and colors in, I relaxed and knew I had time to add some details.

I had only one direct encounter with the local wildlife. It was this brazen jay bird who decided that she would investigate what I was doing and examine all that I had. She landed on a tree stump nearby and then squawked and flew at me. I jumped up to get out of her way and she boldly flew down to my paint supplies. She picked up my painting towel and then dropped it, grabbed my extra painting panels one by one and threw them down, scattering them around, and then perched on the edge of my can of water I was using for the paints and looked at me. For the love! 

After that little painting break, I added some details: the snow on the mountains, the hint of yellow wildflowers on the mountain side and the rocks jutting out here and there.

Two exhilarating hours later it was time to pack up my paints and head back down the mountain. I felt satisfied and happy. 

This experience has changed my perspective. In my journeys to other parts of the world, planet earth has always seemed smaller. But when I traveled to this amazing place right here in my home state of Colorado, the world seemed like it had grown so much bigger.   

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains..." Psalm 121:1

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”

― John Muir