July 6th

"Until the Rain Came"

After spending a good part of the afternoon slicing up and packaging 

homemade salmon lox my plan was to just head to the river.   

It was a heavy rain day in the valley so I figured I wouldn't go to high.  

But! As I started my drive up I saw the clouds begin to break.  The mountains of

Hatcher Pass became the stage once again for the dance of the lingering clouds.

I believe I'm becoming a big fan of painting in the clouds.

So yesterday was 74 degrees and I was in shorts and a tank top! 

Today however, was 20 degrees colder and 2 layers of wool and long johns were in order.

Oh, and keeping the hands warm is always top priority, thanks to my good friend Terry, 

I was painting in spectacular fashion.

Tighty Whitey Handerpants!



I found my spot and set up not far from my hatchback.
The sky was cloudy but the air was dry, at least at the start.
I am learning that I'm happy with my starts but am still working on getting the best saturation.  I really love seeing atmosphere in a painting but I also love color.
Looking for balance.

I was able to get most of the scene blocked in before the clouds quickly crept back in.  

I had the image still fresh in mind of the mountains in the 

distance retreating like soldiers into the mist.

Then the rain came.  

Under the hatch of my car wasn't enough for very long 

so the painting came home to add a few finishing strokes.  

I had about 35 minutes on site for this one but am happy with the final.

It feels like a rainy day, and it was.

Fun though!

Until the Rain Came
8 x 16

Love to hear your thoughts!