Telluride Plein Air-Day II

This is going to be a short post tonight- I may fall asleep before I finish writing it! Today I went back up to the aspen grove to work on the "big piece" again. Then I headed down valley to Leopard Creek. I have painted there many times. The creek meanders through open meadows and also through heavily wooded areas. A couple of years ago Steve and I went down to one of those spots so he could fly fish. I wrote about it here.

So today I went back to that spot to paint. So far, its the piece I am the happiest with. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll have something in "postable" form.

Later. Zzzzzzzz.

Telluride Plein Air- Day Four

Twilight at Leopard Creek
8 x 16
Private Collection

Yikes! How did it get to be Thursday!!? Here are a few more pieces I have finished (maybe?). Leopard Creek is a small creek down valley from Telluride. I've painted it several times and knew I would want to again. Its well away from all that Marilyn Monroe glamor of the landscape in and around Telluride and I like that.

Woods Lake Aspen
12 x 12
Private Collection

The elusive "big view" may have eluded me- as of this morning I am not happy with it and have been looking with more favor on a more intimate evening scene on the San Miguel river. Sometimes, a girl just has to follow her heart.

Telluride Plein Air- Day 3

Morning at Leopard Creek
10 x 8

Leopard Creek is a small stream that runs north-south "down valley" as they say here in Telluride. I actually discovered it last year when I was here but never got a chance to paint it. So I headed there on the first day. The greens in the grasses are actually a bit cooler and more intense - the product of a last minute scumble with thinned cadmium green.

One of the many challenges of this week- in addition to the ones I mentioned in my last post- is integrating my "new" indirect painting method into plein air work. Plein air painting is an alla prima sport - the high wire act of painting. My strategy has been to do as many under paintings as possible the first couple of days, let everything dry, then glaze. Risky business since we have to have all our work ready by Thursday!

By the way, we are allowed to pre-sell all work so if anyone out there is interested in this piece, please contact me and I'll put you in touch with the Sheridan Opera Foundation (show sponsors) to complete the sale.