The Princess, horses that can fly and the Cathedral, last two paintings in the Adirondacks: week 3

Cooler than last week!, big clouds in the sky.

This was Friday July, 26. about 10 A.M.  I'm standing at the door of the "Cathedral" it's a shed in back of the cabin, It's Ned's shed, the work shed, I use it when I'm there, so there I was and here's the view of 6th Lake and the "bay"  and bridge to the boat house.  Why not, do a small study to try and get the values and the colors right? The camera simplifies, but there's so much more there.

The first value.

The camera really does "read" the world differently than the eye., or being there. So there's a lot more to it than just simplifying, but I don't think it's nameable.

This was fun to do; a sketch, quickly before things change too much.

As the morning wore on, the light moved into the picture, it added interest, but was hard to chase.  I had to stop, because I'm not adding anything, I'm just chasing it and getting nowhere.

This was Saturday July 27th  My 174th painting since the great re-boot.  Here is where the princess enters, the princess is a 12' aluminum boat with a 3 hp Johnson, 1962 (I think) Alane gave it that name probably around 1964, and we are yet to call it the Queen. I'ts the boat in last week's blog. and I took it to get here.

I landed at Arnold's rock, north shore of 7th Lake, and hiked down the path along the lake between camping lean-to's and found this spot. There were so few openings that when I found one I had to see if I could make it work, yes, it could.  Except here is where the horse fly's come in and bite the hell out of me.

The first block in.  I was trying to keep the darks dark enough and I think I got it.

Here is where I ended up, although I worked on it a bit back in the Cathedral, I'm not sure what to think about the graphic- hard- edged quality of the tree in front of the lake. It too had it's challenges and I like to see where it is that I'm able to work it.

So ended the Adirondack big three week extravaganza that included lots of fun for all. I'll be back soon, but there's nothing like a decent chunk of time at the cabin. I'm exhausted, but happy.

Adirondack painting week 3 More bald spots; Water, water!

This week was hot to start, than it got cool.

Here's the mostly finished painting from the top of Rocky Mt. in Eagle Bay, NY.  It's a short hike with a good view of 4th Lake,  I'm not sure what happened to the rock, it's way too pink and doesn't have the contrast that I think it needs.

I'm not even sure I like doing such big views, but that's a part of the Adirondacks, so as they say...

Back at the beaver pond,  I liked the first painting I did here and wanted to see if I could do another, or course it came out different, not terrible but not as good as the last.

Here it is,  a bad photo, I had a tough time with the trees over the ridge line,  I didn't want them too detailed, but too crude is how thery are here. I did work on them a bit back at camp, so all in all not a total wash.

This is on Bald Mt. overlooking Old Forge, and 2nd Lake.  It was Sunday early afternoon ant there were a lot of family hikers, so I found a relatively quiet spot.

It looks totally isolated, but I had more people watch me here than just about anywhere I've been,

Another really bad photo,  I'm here at the computer, at home for 2 hrs, while Emma takes a class! I'ts not as fun to blog in bulk like this but it's really fun to paint at the cabin, so bear with me on this and I promise to take and post decent photos when i get back!
 Again, I think I like the flourish of leaves in the foreground the best.

Here is the dock, it was Tuesday and working on water is another thing I feel I need to jump right into, sorry for the pun, It's also the place I can paint and watch the kids at the same time.

This is my best painting from the dock yet, so I think I'm making progress. The water seems to change by the minute, and how do you remember any one incarnation of water?

Adirondack Painting Week 2, a dock. a rock and a sponge.

Three days painting, Hot and humid, no rain, lots of bugs.

Monday late afternoon  87  F

Here's the dock, (and 6th Lake)  I can paint and be at the cabin at the same time. It's late and the light is over the trees.  as you can see the panel is in the shade.

A good start, with lightest and darkest values, but the problem, which I 've had many times is the difference between the seen and the shade on the panel.

 Here's where I finished after about 2 hrs.and of course I can see what happened, I washed out the painting due to it being in the shade,

It never looked like this! ( if it did, I would have preferred it, but I wish I saw those darks!)












Tuesday, also late afternoon, 90 F

This is the stream between 6th and 5th lakes, and as you can see, it's moving fast.

It makes you feel cool just to watch, and it, the place is totally in the shade too.  I also found this shape if the water and I liked it.

This is about 1/2 way through.  I like trying to figure out how to do rushing water.  If I can improve each time, I don't expect to  see miracles, just good work.

Here is where I was, I didn't take a finished photo.











Yesterday also 90F & sunny

The beaver pond, early afternoon, still hot and sunny, I vacillated between picking the spot on the top of the hill, (more pleasant to work in) or the place next to the hill (with the hill in view, (not as pleasant, but a better picture, and you can see where I chose. This is a view of Ned's rock, and the light was bright!

Here is the first 45 minutes or so.

This is pretty close to finished.

Here they are together.

Here I was, on a sponge!  The "land" is really just a bog-like  growth that you squish into. Buggy. I found a bit of shade.

Adirondack Painting week 1: 5 Paintings (1 Commission!)

Monday, July 8:

Warm with rain, clearing by the afternoon, 80 F

This is the "Beaver" or officially Hess pond, in back of the cabin on 6th Lake,  Inlet, NY.  I was here this May, in just about the same spot at about the same time (afternoon), although the effect was much different

Sorry for the poor quality of this photo, but here it is 9x12 finished.  you can see the light and how dramatic it is.

Eastern shore looking west, into the setting sun.













Eagle Cliff,  Eagle Bay, NY. Tuesday, July 9,
Warm,  similar to yesterday.  80  F

This is up a very short hike overlooking 4th Lake.  It's just a few minutes from Inlet, I woke up early and started at 9:00, the morning mist was in the air (and stayed there most of the session.)

Here is the initial block in.

 Here it is finished.

Yeah.






I showed the finished painting to a friend of a friend, who was up at the cabin, he said the view was very special to his dad and would I paint it again, for him, that's Friday's painting.








Wednesday, July 10 Upper Pond, Uncas Rd.

Here is the finished painting from Upper Pond,  I had forgotten my camera, so I took this back at the cabin. The light here too was strong as it went down in the west. Water, water, so much water!

This is my layout for Adirondack hike-in trips,  it takes about an hour to get the pack ready.















Thursday,  July 11.  Billy's Bald Spot,  Martin Rd, Big Moose, NY.
 Same weather pattern.

I had arranged to do the commission tomorrow, and wanted to get more "big views" under my belt, so I chose this spot.  I had come up here last year, and continued down the trail to Squash Pond, so I knew the site, and it was only .4 of a mile (mostly steep up hill)

Here is the first block-in.

Here is where I got it to after about 2 1/4 hrs.

Here is the place, I liked having the tree tops in front of the scene, although at first I thought it was annoying.









Friday, July 12, Eagle Cliff,  Eagle Bay,  NY.

This is the view I chose, it's a bit west of the one I did on Tuesday, and it's the afternoon.  After yesterday's painting I decided I wanted to incorporate more tree tops, and I was glad I did.

If this is getting redundant, let me know!

Blocked in, mostly.

This is three hours work,  I just didn't want to stop, even though I can see things that could have been developed more, I think my patron liked it.

When I look at the painting and the photo together I can see the differences, some of them I like and others not so much, but all in all not too shabby.

Lee's Crossing Rd. Finished

Hot. sunny with thundershower!  90  F

Here is the Lee's Crossing Painting finished, I had gone back there on friday, it had to be in the late afternoon, the hottest time of the day, but I was in the shade and even got rained on! I was going to go for just a few minutes to finish up on some details, but ended up spending at least 1 1/2 hrs re-working much of the canvas, and I think it was worth it.

This is where I had started.