Hatcher Pass 25

Hatcher Pass 25

Another day visiting the pass after 5pm.

Sometimes the days are just busy and sometimes

that pays off big.

Summit Lake again was the destination.  

I rarely know exactly where I'm going to paint when I head up there so 

I often make it to the top in search of poetry.  

Sometimes I find myself back at the river, which I never mind 

and other times the poetry is everywhere!

What a surprise to find these paragliders enjoying the wind.

It was a tough choice to paint or see about a tandem ride!

Of course, the challenge was on, so I painted.

Ready for a tandem flight now though!!

Check out these great photos...

Who knew how long they'd be there and how fast I could paint these

floating, gliding, swinging, swaying strokes of color.

Not my best profile but you can see why

set up was fast!

Was I feeling excited? Yes...

What else?

Feelin' Small, but happy.

As I've said before,

the weather changes quickly in the pass.  

Spots of sun and lumbering clouds start this paint-out but changes quickly.

Then there's knowing when it's time to go.

I just love this photo Ken took.

I can get so lost in the moment I don't even realize what's going on.

I decided to go bright and just had a lot of fun with 

"She'll be Coming Round the Mountain"

8x8

Hatcher Pass 24

Hatcher Pass 24

After a busy day taking care of necessities around the house I was so thankful that my husband said, 

how about a drive up the Pass.   The sound of that was beyond refreshing.

Driving up there has become a little like breathing.  

I quickly grabbed my backpack and off we went for an evening drive.

Past the river, beyond the MotherLode, and continue by 16 mile run.

Then the decision, up to Independence Mine or over to Summit Lake. 

The bowl, where the mine lives, is notorious for the clouds to linger and invade. 

Up to the summit we go, maybe the paragliders will be there again!

(more on that later :)

A short hike and indecisive clouds made this waterfall the perfect spot.

Keeping things dry, barely :)

Blocking it in.

 

To many selfies but I just wanted to share the perspectives of this place.

Feeling small, and happy.

The Guardian  

As my husband loves to join me and often hikes and does photography,

sometimes he likes to just sit and as he and his dad have said,

"just watch Alaska go by"

"Love Like a Waterfall"

16x12

Oil

Hatcher Pass 23

Hatcher Pass 23

As the challenge continued and so did life, more than 30 paintings have been completed.

The blog, however, fell behind.   After a wonderful visit from my son and the 

Eight Annual Plein Air Event in Anchorage, the blog continues.

During the weekend, I set up my tent, my walls, and my art.  

It was good.  With the work of setting up done, I set up my tripod and painting box.

With a favorite photo from my daily trips to the pass I started a new piece.

It was fun sharing the process with so many people but I definitely spent more time chatting 

than painting.  No complaints though, it was a wonderful weekend seeing friends, 

meeting new ones and having the pleasure of adding happy collectors.

Before the crowds and under the trees

Getting back to the studio, it is completed

"Rekindled Love"

12x16

Hatcher Pass 22

Hatcher Pass 22

Well, I made it 21 days in a row blogging and continued to paint daily at  

Hatcher Pass until the 25th.   The Eighth Annual Plein Air Event in Anchorage took place and I started a painting of Hatcher from a photo but talking to people and 

sharing with friends took precedence and I still have to finish it.   

Then, I'm sorry to say,there was a matter of sorrow.

Prayers for peace and strength are being answered daily for my sweet friend.

Thank you God.

Then last weekend I taught a wonderful group of artists for a two day workshop. 

Two demos done there is sheer proof that I've been painting!

And best of all this, getting ready for my son's visit.  YAY!

So, at this point the 

30 Painting Challenge is still on but the timing is no longer chronological,

we are now on Angelini Time :)

Today I got to share my office with my son who is visiting from his 

college life.   It was very nice having a Sherpa for the day!

We thought about taking the elevator up at the office today 

but decided instead to take the stairs... okay path.

As I set up to paint, 

The guys continue to hike.

I see you up there!!!

And man are they fast.   Hiking, climbing and rock skipping,

(or maybe I should say boulder skipping)

they returned in just about an hour.

Paint fast Angelini, and enjoy the view!

"April Bowl Flow"

8 x 10

July 21

July 21st

Today was a spectacular day.  

It was so beautiful it makes more sense to tell the story with more photos than words.

A 3 mile hike on Archangel Trail led to a beautiful lake.  My friend Laurie stayed with me there while I painted while Sheila and Karen hiked on up to the huts

.  Standing there was like standing in front of a Thomas Moran or Edgar Payne painting.  They would have been right at home here.  

Let's start with getting there!  

Friends and their dogs, flora, creeks, rocks and sunshine = one great day.

Over the River

 

It was up, up, up all the way there.

What looked like an eagles nest that is falling apart had 3 little chicks in it.
They weren't making much noise and sat tiered as the nest slid down the tree.
Let's hope mom was just out searching for dinner. 

The Girls!  

Four very happy dogs!

The painting....

First, setting up.

The entire view!

Looking forward to more paintings from this location :)

And the painting.  Kind of makes me think about a father and son.  

"I want to be just like him"

8x8 on panel

July #20

July #20

Down by the River

The rush, the roar, the river.

A new perspective.  What felt natural was a wide format but if 

I just keep doing what feels natural, then how would that be a challenge?

So I chose the long format for a wide river and it was a challenge.

The block in...

This 'in-scene' photo shows me that my colors look more vibrant but that 

is the issue painting water on days when the clouds are moving in and out.

In complete sunshine, the water takes on a gorgeous turquoise hue, 

but when the shade takes over it grays down considerably.

Thus said, you have to choose your light and stick to it.

I have honestly struggled with this piece.

First the loss of my darks, and without the darks, 

the light won't shine.  Then, after scraping out lights and revisiting the darks,

I am slowly adding back the lights of the white water.

It has been said,

"That loose painterly, effortless look, can sometimes take a lot of time and work"

I concur.

I like it much more when it seemingly paints itself.

"Change of Direction"

July 19

July 19th

Returning to the Challenge.

I find painting the river to be a very natural thing for me.  

I am always drawn to water, 

funny that I'm a "Valley Girl", 

Matanuska Valley that is.

So as my hearts skips beats as I drive parallel the river, I head higher and higher.

And once again, the clouds encase the peaks.  

But THAT is the challenge!

Clouds doing the Two-Step with dollops of sunbeams.

Not only are there areas of clouds covering parts of the ridges, 

but there are areas of earth and rock that glimmer from hints of light.

It gorgeous!!!,

but changing places every minute like a chorus of musical chairs!!

The block in....

Choosing the moment and staying with it is the answer to chasing light.

"Sundance"

July 18th

Painting 18

Today started out hard for me.  

I am feeling Vitamin D-ficienct.  

The weather has been hanging between 60 and 65 lately but I need a day of 80!

So today the clouds broke!!! Yay! I drove up in the afternoon and as I climbed up the road following the river, switchbacking up the mountain, 

I found the clouds clinging like sticky fingers to the mountain tops.

Striving to learn more and push further, I decided to leave the river for a few days and work on finding a way to speak more emotion in the mountains.  

The clouds crept over the hills, slowly encroaching on my painting perch 

while I painted more green.  You know they say green in nature is the 

hardest color to capture while painting... and there is a lot of it.   

So I painted green hills with mountain peaks that my senses 

told me were there less my eyes.

Then the clouds began to lift!  A bit.  A hole to prove the sky is blue!

So, I will save my cloudy green painting for another day

and today share my second painting...

"In-Scene"

"Lifted by the Light"

8 x 8

July 17

Painting Seventeen

"Speak Softly"

Is sometimes the best way to be heard, 

for how can we hear if we are always talking.

6 x 8

July 16

Day 16 

The water pours over endlessly, without tiring... unlike me.

But still I am drawn to the river... endlessly.

The roar, the rush, combined with serenity.

The river is perfect and with one loud voice, it whispers volumes.

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Side story... a blast from the past.

The day started with the need for a little bottled caffeine.  I stopped at the local general quick stop and memories quickly flooded me.  

Yes, I know it's an old and very cool truck but that's not the story!

The story is kind of funny.  On my way to use the restroom 

I heard the familiar sound of a shower!

And there, just like 30 years ago when we lived in our cabin without running water, was the laundromat fully equipped with shower rooms.

I'll never forget filling up 5 gallon jugs of water daily to take home, and runs to the Laundromat to shower as well as to do laundry.  Funniest story was how excited my father in law would get when he and the love of his life could choose the double :)   

Sure miss those folks.

__________________________________________________

Back to the day at hand,

I put about an hour in this piece the day before, took some photos,

and then thought I might finish this at home. 

What I've learned is that photographs don't speak the same language as being there.

So that was my spot again today.  There are so many places to paint there but this is my favorite.  I will move on again soon.  

Here's the start of a very complicated scene.

And another "In-scene shot"

I like shooting these, it's a good way to do a color and temp check.

It's almost time to burn this hat!

If it weren't for a little wind and long bangs, I wouldn't love it so.

At this point, I feel like I have a little work to undo.  

A few areas to simplify and a couple of value corrections.

I was lucky enough to have a couple of models in this one.  

A few red salmon made their way up the river.  

An eddy behind the rock was a quiet place for two and a third 

making it's way up the fall.

Resting Places

12 x 16