Denver and the Rockies
I just returned from an all week trip to Denver, Colorado visiting my brother and chewing up some frequent flyer miles. I took my full paint set with the idea I might get to do a painting for the upcoming Nomadas Del Arte show.
We spent a night at Black Hawk, the ‘Las Vegas’ of Colorado, which is a short drive into the Rockies from Denver. While there, I went out in the early morning to paint Clear Creek, although it certainly wasn’t a very clear creek. Actually, it is the north fork of Clear Creek. I ended up painting just a mile downstream of Black Hawk.
The morning light was wonderful! Below is the scene as I started painting. The sun was just hitting the distant hills with the stream reflecting the bright morning sky.
Another shot of my easel before I actually started painting.
After an hour of painting, the sun peeked over the nearby hill and I was drenched in sunlight. There wasn’t a good way of getting out of the glare of the sun, and I began to have problems judging values and colors. If I weren’t so far from home, perhaps I would have had my shade umbrella, but didn’t bring it. Below is the scene after the sun was completely out.
Below is a snapshot of the painting on the easel when I was about ready to pack it in. I can do the final touches in the studio.
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