Spring Painting-Canadian Rockies

It's Springtime in the Rockies. The days have more light, the temps are warmer, everyone has a smile.

A friend of ours was visiting Banff this weekend. Donna is an interior designer and trained architect. She is also a talented artist. She has brought new energy and creativity to my painting.

Last summer Donna was in France on an art course. She was introduced to a unique brush by Pentel, the Aquash Water Brush. On her course they would sketch with a waterproof pen, then, using the water brush and a small travel watercolour paint box create quick, colourful sketches. She showed me her book of images over a coffee and I was immediately taken by the beauty and simplicity of her work. To my surprise she gave me her waterbrush from her kit. The brush has a reservoir of water attached to it. All you have to do is touch your colours with the brush and voila!As I already have a watercolour travel box and a moleskin book, I was ready to paint.

The images here show the brush, pen, paints and travel book. I was out today near Two Jack Lake and created a quick sketch of the Fairholme Range. I then went over to Vermilion Lakes and created a quick sketch of Mt. Rundle. The beauty of this kit is that it is very small, packable and each sketch takes less than 5 minutes. While I love working on large canvases in my studio, this new tool will get me outside more, studying and creating subject matter for my future pieces. It is also something I can travel with and create every day.

Thank you Donna for opening a new door to my creativity!

Robert Krysak

Colourful Cascade Locals-Canadian Rockies

It's Springtime in the Rockies. Our porch got to 13c today......it was great to sit in the sun, absorb the heat from its rays. We have more daylight each day.....we are coming out of the darkness.

I have had a large canvas sitting in my studio the past few months, waiting for some attention. I initially sketched an image of Cascade Mountain on it. Cascade towers above my home town of Banff. You cannot help to see it from wherever you are in town.

The other day, I put some thought and energy into the canvas. I thought of how Cascade Mtn. is around us all the time. I then started to think of locals in the valley that are ever present in our daily existence. Ravens, Elk, Coyotes and soon Grizzlies share the valley with us, and are visible every day.

I painted "Colourful Cascade Locals" to pay homage and respect to the special animals and peak that we share this landscape with.

In the sky, I wanted to capture that magical moment where day changes to night...that glow you get where the warmth of the sun gradually changes and fades to a clear, cold darkness. You can feel the sting of the cold air on your cheeks. The stars shimmer, and the stellar dance across the sky ebbs and flows while the colorful warmth of the day fades into the darkness.

Cascade Mountain towers above us...absorbs all it sees. I wanted to capture in it's slopes the changing colours of the sky. Like a mirror, I wanted the mountain to reflect and capture all it is seeing.

The "Colourful Cascade Locals". Raven in the sky, Elk walking across the left side of the canvas, Coyote howling in the center....Grizzly entering the canvas from the right. Each spirit animal began with the same colour of New Gamboge to show their unity as powerful partners in this world. I then added other colours to feature each animals personality and characteristics.

I truly enjoyed the journey this painting took me on.

Robert Krysak

Colourful Cascade Locals
Watercolour on Canvas
24"x 30"
$400