Studio Update April 2024
How is it that quarter one of 2024 has already come and gone? Is it just a part of getting older that I am now shaking my head regularly and looking around saying “I cannot believe it is already X time of year” or “this year is going by so fast.” I think I can sum up studio life for the first quarter as organized chaos, but that is how I describe my life all of the time, not just in the studio. While there are many things in the art pipeline, I have managed to complete four paintings outside of my watercolor sketchbook practice. I feel like these four paintings are the perfect balance of enjoying the last bits of winter and looking forward to spring. I consider these paintings to be watercolor studies: paintings that did not take a lot of time to paint and where I experimented with some aspect of the painting. All were painted on Arches 140lb coldpress watercolor paper with Holbein watercolor paints.
Genesee Park | 2.5x4 inches
After just a short drive heading west on I70 out of Denver, you can already feel like you are in the mountains. I visited Genesee Park for the first time only a couple years ago, but it has become one of my favorite hikes to do in the winter when I want to feel like I am away from the city without really having to drive that far. On a recent hike, I was lucky enough to be there when the bison herd was close to the fence line. For this mini painting, I wanted to convey the peacefulness of the winter landscape. I love how the winter colors in Colorado are a combination of whites, grays, greens, and golds. The shadows on the snow even have hints of purple.
Creekside at Joe’s Valley | 4x6 inches
For those of you who do not know, my husband and I are both rock climbers. The reference photo for this painting is from quite a few years ago when we took a trip with friends over Thanksgiving week to Joe’s Valley near Orangeville, Utah, which is a huge bouldering area. There are few things better than being in the desert in the fall and winter. This photograph is of a spot just off the road. My goal with this painting was to make the primary rock and the crashpads the focal point. I wanted them to really pop against the bright color of the river water.
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Angel’s Landing in Spring | 2.5x4 inches
Angel’s landing is one of the best hikes I have ever done. We were in Zion in March 2021 and it was my first time visiting since I went there as a kid. Angel’s Landing is not a hike my parents decided to attempt with a teenager and a pre-teen. The day that we hiked was misty with periods of rain and even a short burst of hail, but I was thankful for the smaller crowds of early spring and it was truly magical (and a bit nerve wracking) to feel like you were on the edge of a cliff the whole time. I love me a mini painting.
Catkins in Moab | 4x6 inches
My paintings are starting to turn towards spring subjects. This painting was inspired by walking through a sea of catkins on a hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge in Moab this past February. I loved how the light made these fuzzy catkins glow and I wanted to try and paint it. I learned later that these catkins are a sign of the spring to come in the desert and that they usually show up before the leaves and are important to early season pollinators.
Which is your favorite?