Recent Work From the Sawtooths

Here are a couple of recent works from the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho.  I have been painting these a lot lately and can't seem to get enough of them.  The subject matter in them is truly endless.

 

"Standing Strong"  10 x 8 in. 

This painting was painted from a photo I took while doing my Goat Falls hike (See June 17th post).  Even though it was mid-June and seventy degrees out, there was still plenty of snow around and the willows were  in their winter colors.  What attracted me to this scene was the strong light on the little pine tree.  I also thought the rocks created a nice entry to the focal point.

"Bench Lake" 9 x 12 in.

This painting was painted after my return from Matt Smith's workshop (see last weeks post).  One of the things Matt helped me with was introducing me to some new colors for my palette.  This painting has a lot of Ultramarine Blue in it and it's a nice cool color that really works well in the shadows and helps a mass recede in the distance.  I also love the natural composition of this lake.  It's about a 9 mile hike round-trip to this lake and it's worth every mile!

"Sawtooth Solitude" 8 x 10 in.

This painting was painted on a hike to the Saddleback Lakes.  It is a painting just off the trail in Redfish Canyon.  The canyon runs behind Redfish Lake and was formed by glaciers from the last ice age.  I stood alone for a good hour or so and didn't see or hear a single person thus providing the perfect title.