Cobalt Lake-The Bugaboos-The Sky

 

It's cold in the mountains this morning.........3c. There is a snowfall warning for the Banff-Jasper Parkway, and I see new snow on Cascade across the valley. With java in hand, I walk downstairs to my studio, turn the space heater on, and gaze at the canvas. On my computer, I turn on Radio Paradise, a great station from the US with no commercials and varied music.

Many times I've been in the Bugaboos hiking. What starts out to be a bluebird day quickly changes. There are cool winds, clouds racing across the sky......and snow. I want to capture that turbulence in my sky. I prepare my paints.........pans of Cobalt Blue, Thalo Blue, Windsor Blue Green, Antwerp Blue and Paynes  Grey. Grabbing my #1 slanted brush, I begin splashing colour across the sky, with no real plan in mind.

 You always have to paint darker colours over lighter, so I lay down the lighter hues first and then let the darker hues collide. I want to capture the swirling snowflakes in the sky, so I patiently watch the paint dry. There is a time where there is a damp/dry look to it, and I apply salt. When the salt hits the wet paint, the crystals push the paint back in a chaotic way no brush can capture.

Listening to Bob Dylan on the radio in the background, I sit back, sip on my java, and contemplate the next moves with the painting. You need patience painting on canvas, as you need everything to properly dry. Once I see the wet sheen is gone, I take a stiffer brush and remove the salt flakes. Some tiny crystals remain and will shimmer in a certain light. I then take a special eraser and rub off the masking around the mountains. The peaks jump off the canvas, and there is a definitive line between rock and sky.

A reminder that this 24" x 30" painting is a fundraiser for Dani Lowenstein. Email your bid to alignmentsportsbanff@gmail.com or 403-760-9922. Also, if you click on each picture you will get a larger image.

Enjoy the journey.