Tag: mountains

The Last Day of Winter

Or, maybe, The First Day of Spring?

I have been breaking out of my safety zone and moving on to using more expensive paper and larger sized sheets for painting.  Also, another is to use a somewhat limited palette, working to create colors by mixing in different strengths and blends.  Ultramarine and cobalt blues, burnt sienna and burnt umber, a dash of sap green.  Other colors include a mix of cadmium yellow and red, and some of Daniel Smith’s Primatek Sodalite (a black) for the road.

As always, there seems to be a lack of depth in my painting, despite my efforts . . . or maybe the road is not properly proportioned for its curve?

There is nothing like knowing Spring is nearly here, and see hints of emerging from the snow.

Two Color Studies: Incoming Storm

Another study in Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber.  These are really good colors for portraying cold and wintry conditions.  Brr!  Where I live, we have had weather in the 80s for much of January and February, so a break from the heat is much needed.  Today, though, it’s a whopping 52 F.

The Grand Tetons

 

My historical vacation photos on film always ended up . . . as the backsides of deer.  My first visit to Yosemite seemed to be image after image of deer butts.  I had my first “real” film camera, a Canon A-1 (which I still have and is really beat up) and no idea how to use it.  Or how to frame.  Or anything.  It was as annoying as hell, and I walked away from photography until the Nikon Hit Man loaned me his D70 years ago.  Since then, I’ve returned to film, considerably more adept at avoiding deer butts than in the past.

I am not sure where this was taken in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, but I really liked the field of wildflowers, the edge of pine, and then the Tetons rising up from the valley floor.  If I can, one day I want to spend more time truly exploring this area and hiking along the trails – possibly even higher up than we were.

I used the Olympus OM-1n, Cinestill 50, Olympus 35-70mm lens, and the Pakon to scan.  This is a pano of 2 or 3 images stitched together in LR with some post.

In the Misty Coastal Range

In the Misty Coastal Range

Along the central California coast, the marine layer can extend inland. There are days when the skies are grey, and “sunny California” exists as a memory. Inland, the layer breaks up, but along the coast and tucked into the edges of the mountains, it can be depressingly dull. As a result, “May Grey” and “June Gloom” are my least favorite times to be on the coast, and am very glad I moved one valley inland!