May
15, 2002 Issue
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| It is that season again to
make my semi-annual journey to the California coast. Actually, I
have put it off for too long. I am anxious to cruise the coastal
highway, with its winding, inundating, narrow invitation. I long
to linger on breathlessly high ocean overlooks. I want to delight
in seeing a flash of red, yellow, and white wildflowers tucked demurely
amongst waving grasses. It is time to renew friendships I have made
in remote communities nestled snugly deep in the redwood forests, and situated
high on windswept bluffs. The farms and fields that I have driven
past so often beckon me once more. I will begin my trip from Olympia
on I-5, and make a stop near Grant's Pass, Oregon to research some old
windmills, ending up at Willits, Ca., where one of my favorite restauants
still serves family sized meals of chicken fried steak and homemade meatloaf
and gravy. Leaving the interstate highway, it is a "watch out for
your own rear bumper" hairpin road through the coastal range to Mendocino,
where I have a gallery-gift shop that carries my work. Point Arena,
and Fort Bragg are also locales where I do business. Here is where
the beautifully sculpted cypress trees dominate the scenery. (See
my web page on prints, landscapes, click on cypress shadows)
I look forward to rounding that particular bend in the road and coming
upon acres of rich farmland dotted by sheep or cattle, fenced in by the
unique California style wood fence. So, as I pack for the week long
"working" vacation, I must be sure to include several boxes of 3.5 inch
floppy disks for my Sony digital camera. Although I am visiting an
"old friend" I know she will be wearing a new Spring dress, and I don't
want to miss any opportunity to discover California's wild side.
Next Issue: Seeing Seabirds |
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Mount Rainier, A Looming
Presence
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We, here in Washington
State, live in a world of beautiful contrast. There are vast evergreen
forests, numerous lakes, winding picturesque rivers, mile upon mile of
cultivated farmland, great multicultural population centers, and snow bedecked
mountain ranges slicing through the geography from end to end, north to
south. There is Mount Baker, the most northerly peak in the Cascade
range. To the south we find Mount St. Helens, and Mt. Adams.
However, the most observable mountain of them
all is Mount Rainier. Sometimes shrouded in fog, other times gracing
the panorama as a dowager matron, there is no mistaking the effect this
mountain has on the landscape, and its admiring inhabitants. Poets,
writers, lyricists, photographers and artists pay homage to her.
I am no exception.
"However, the most observable
mountain of them all is Mount Rainier"
When I moved to Washington with my family,
we settled in the Olympia area. Mount Rainier was clearly visible
from dawn to dusk on those rare clear and sunny days. When we travelled
north to Seattle, glimpses of the mountain winked at us between tall trees
and tall buildings. As we went southbound, there she was, long after
we'd spotted mount St. Helens. Through the passes of the Cascade
mountain range, Mount Rainier was the landmark to locate. From the fruitlands
of eastern Washington, the compellingness of the this immense entity was
unavoidable. Her moods are as predictible as the seasons. Her
moods are as varied as Washington's weather. Is it any wonder that
I would be drawn to paint this captivating eidolon?
I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe
those many moods of "The Mountain". I have seen lenticular cloud
formations drifting above the mountain as if there were a mysterious |
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"mother-ship" hovering there. She has
caught the setting sun with a luminous glow reminding me of sherbet ice
cream. Mount Rainier frequently sparkles with a freshly donned coat
of pure white dazzling snow. I have seen her in Spring, Summer,
Autumn and deep in Winter's snowy grasp.. I have research material
of the sun rising just behind the peak of this magnificent natural
monument. One morning at sunrise, I saw her shadow cast upward onto
brilliant red clouds. So, those moments became paintings.
When I began to paint in oils, I realized that to capture the rugged enchantment
of Mount Rainier, I would need to use a palette knife. The knife
gives me the texture of thick paint that best portrays the deep cragginess
I wanted to convey. I began with small (8" X 10") canvas boards,
and eventually did a 24" X 48" piece. Some were in blues and greens,
some in fall colors, some in greys. I chose various views.
The way I see Mount Rainier from Olympia, differs from the scene observed
from Seattle. The configuration of the peaks and crevasses are totally
different from the east side of the mountain.
"She has caught the setting sun
with a luminous glow reminding me of sherbet ice cream."
To say that I have enjoyed my painting experience
of Mount Rainier would be an understatement. It is a challenge to
accurately render the features of this dominant monolith. It is truly
delightful to paint the colors at different seasons under different weather
conditions. The infinite variety of this enduring titan will always
be appealing to me. I will return again and again to the valleys
where the scenery is dominated by the looming presence of Mount Rainier.
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