Fishing The Arkansas River

This painting is the first in my new Colorado Landscapes series. Even though adjustments will be made after some time has passed and I'm able to see it with fresh eyes, I am excited to do this post and share the stages with you.

If you have been following this blog for over a year, you might recall the color study I did of this scene when Robert and I were spending a warm fall day along the Arkansas River, near Salida, Colorado. While Robert fished, I painted. With the color study I also took photos of him fishing. This is the final result, a compilation of photographs and the painting I did that colorful fall day.

Fishing the Arkansas
16 x 20", oil on canvas
Rita Salazar Dickerson (c) 2013

Stage 1: Loosely painting in the lines, freehand, of the shapes and figure. I used a wash of mineral spirits and Transparent Earth Red. Next, I started with the sky doing an under painting of Ultramarine blue mixed with Cobalt Blue and Titanium White.

Stage 2: Painting alla prima, wet on wet, I used a palette knife to add a lighter blue to the skyline of the mountains. I have a tendency to be frugal with paint so when I apply it with a palette knife I am forced to use more.

Stage 3: Completing the sky and painting the mountains. Using the same technique with the sky, I painted the mountains.

Stage 4: Painting the background of trees and bushes.

Stage 5: Blocking in the under painting of the river. In preparation for the water I brushed in this thin layer of color before I added the thicker, final coat, alla prima. I worked around the figure, Robert. 

Stage 6: The water and  figure. Robert was a lot more challenging than I thought he would be. With the sun practically over head, he blended in with the water. 

Stage 7: After blocking in the foreground with a thin layer of paint I came back in with my palette knife to add the thicker paint. After the paint was applied I used a combination of brush and palette knife to get the effect I wanted.

Here is the final painting with the color study I did last October. Painting from life recorded the colors much more accurately than the reference photos. I have never regretted painting plein air; I learn so much each time I do.

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.

Visiting Steamboat Springs

Completed Painting
Steamboat Aspens
Acrylic on panel, 9x6"
Rita Salazar Dickerson

We received a wonderful invitation last week to spend some time in Steamboat Springs.

There are so many pleasant things to do in and around Steamboat: hiking, rafting, kayaking, cycling...enjoyable art galleries and fun restaurants...all of it is placed in a gorgeous mountain setting of aspen and pine trees.

I brought my little Jullian paint box and waited for the perfect opportunity to do a little plein air painting at the cabin in the woods. It was an ideal set-up with a convenient little table on the back porch - supplied by our gracious hosts, Noreen and Alison, where I could lay out my painting supplies and get to work.

With the soft, late afternoon light, the variety of aspen trees in front of me were my inspiration. I decided to pick and choose the trees for my composition and noticed that the blue sky and rolling foothills were the perfect backdrop. I worked quickly using small brushes and my little palette knife.

It was a mountain party! With the sounds of  lively conversation and laughter swirling all around me, I painted. The Colorado weather was ideal and the beauty of the outdoors surrounded me. It was a refreshing change of pace and I felt invigorated.

I will always have special memories of my visit to beautiful Steamboat Springs with just a little part of it recorded in this painting.

Path To Patelely Bridge II: The Bridge

 Path To Pateley Bridge, II
11 x 9", pen and ink

There is a beautiful, meandering river called the River Nidd, that eventually winds its way beside the path to Pateley Bridge. Being January, the trees beside it are without leaves but have moss growing up  their trunks. The water is calm and acts like a mirror, reflecting the trees and blue sky. The scene is soothing and peaceful.

The bridge in this sketch crosses over the river leading to an estate which looks more like a small castle. Since I have always been fascinated by bridges and anything that resembles a castle, I will draw the estate next.

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