Webster Art

Sue, Lisa and I hiked up to Comet Falls at Mt. Rainier yesterday. I’d never painted a waterfall before, and I knew it would be ugly. I set up my easel while they hiked on up the trail to Van Trump park.

Surprisingly, I was able to create something sort of pretty, though I’m very unsure about it. It’s almost abstract. I kept trying to make it tight and accurate, but the shadows in the deep canyon kept changing under the rotating sun, and don’t even get me started on the waterfall. Those veils of water were dropping at 40 miles an hour. I could freeze them in my mind, but trying to extract the subtle shading of color from the gossamer veils of falling water was a trial.

And the rock surrounding the waterfall was horrible. It was all fractured and curving with pine tree poking out in random locations. I was ready to tear up the painting, but decided to get super loose and start throwing color at it. I mean, what did I have to lose?

I felt good about getting anything recognizable. It was a fun day out with the family, and great practice for me.

Comet Falls at Mt. Rainier

And here is the previous Saturdays painting when Sue and I hiked up into the snow on Skyline Ridge at Mt. Rainier

Painted from the Skyline trail at Mt. Rainier