On the Way To The Hot Springs Watercolor Painting

On the Way To The Hot Springs Watercolor Painting The Beauty Of The Rockies

I am going up to Steamboat Springs Colorado in a couple weeks to teach a watercolor workshop. I lived there for 10 years and so it will be like going home again. I will be taking some new paintings to the Wild Horse Gallery and this one was painted from memory.

Aspen trees are a fascinating subject because of the white bark and dark markings and all the reflected color in the forest. I took a few liberties with color by adding pastel colors such as pink, cerulean blue, and cobalt violet. Painting from memory is a great exercise and it gives me a sense of freedom because I am not restricted by what I see. In the autumn when the aspen leaves turn gold it is my favorite time to paint in the Rockies but I also love painting there in all four seasons because each one has its own distinct personality. In the spring the snow is melting, calves are being born and spring colors abound. In the summer the ranchers are busy cutting and bailing hay, autumn brings the gorgeous colors of Indian summer and winter brings snow which covers the land with a beautiful white blanket. Each season brings its own set of colors and Steamboat Springs is like an artists dream.