Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Western Winter Painting Trip 2012

COLORADO • ARIZONA • CALIFORNIA • PLEIN AIR PAINTING

I had been dreaming of this trip for years while sitting in my cubicle. Someday I would leave dreary winter in KC and work my way southwest, painting as I went. Well the reality was something like what I had in mind but also very different. Even though I've travelled the western US extensively, distances from point A to point B turn out to be further than you expect.  In future years I will plan trips much shorter than the 4,000+ miles that I put on the odometer this time. That aside, the trip had many high points. Here's a bit about each day:
  • Thursday, Jan 5: The thermometer read 71˚F as I drove through Goodland, Kansas.
  • Friday, Jan 6: The great weather continued as I hiked, photographed and painted at Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • Bear Lake, 6 x 8, oils.
  • Saturday, Jan 7: White knuckle driving in a major snowstorm. Still a great day as I made some important contacts while visiting Evergreen Fine Art Gallery.
  • Sunday, Jan 8: Cold but sunny as I hiked up to Dream Lake with my friend Jeff. Shot lots of great reference for future paintings.
  • Monday, Jan 9: A short driving day, I was able to get in a painting near sunset at Castlewood Canyon. 
  • Castlewood Canyon, 6 x 8, oils.
  • Tuesday, Jan 10: I was invited to do a demo and teach at Shelley Olivier's painting class in Colorado Springs. Thanks Nelly and Shelley. What a fun group to hang out with!
  • Wednesday, Jan 11: More bad weather driving up to Raton Pass. Dropped off six paintings for a show at the Old Pass Gallery in Raton, New Mexico. Then on to points south.
  • Thursday, Jan 12: Started the day at 32˚F INSIDE my cousin's guest cabin! Then just a really long driving day to Buckeye, Arizona. Phenomenal desert scenery and bye-bye cold weather.
  • Friday, Jan 13: Another driving day. Destination Oceanside, California.
  • Saturday, Jan 14: Great day taking in original paintings by Californian Impressionists at galleries in Irvine and Laguna. Did my first ocean plein air painting at Dana Point. 
  • Painting at Dana Point.
  • Sunday, Jan 15: Spent day with family.
  • Monday, Jan 16: Hiked to summit of Iron Mountain with my brother and his boys on a pretty gloomy day.
  • Tuesday, Jan 17: More ocean painting at San Elijo state beach.
  • Cardiff Winter, 6 x 12, oils.
  • Wednesday, Jan 18: Painted eucalyptus trees at Guahome Park.
  • Thursday, Jan 19: Driving day. Destination Tucson, Arizona.
  • Friday, Jan 20: Did morning painting of Pusch Ridge with friend Martin for company, and shooting reference for paintings in the Dragoon mountains. After that it was the longest drive of the trip to Odessa, Texas. The 80 mph posted speed limit was still too slow.
  • Saturday, Jan 21: Driving day. Destination Lawton, Oklahoma to visit family.
  • Sunday, Jan 22: Too cloudy to paint the Wichita Mountains so I headed straight home to my much missed wife.
For future road  trips I'd like to keep it within a 1,000 mile radius from home. Counting gas/food/lodging it's much cheaper to fly to California.


1 comment:

  1. Man, Larry...your color just keeps getting better and better on these paintings. Sound like you would have done well to fly out with your supplies...I hate driving. But you always get to "experience" trips like the one you took...it's more than just painting...you are building memories and and having adventures! Keep up the great work!

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