Big Sky Over The Wind River Mountains

OK, I don't think I made the promise yet, but I will be posting failures as well as successes.

I'm not too sure this one works. Something feels off to me and I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Trying to do a sky like this in watercolor is quite difficult...or at least to me it is. Watercolor, among other things, is about controlling edges...there's a lot of edges to try and keep soft while building up these clouds while also trying to create a blend in the sky color from top to bottom.

The landscape is basically there just to give some scale and doesn't have any detail.

Oh, well. One of those learning experiences. It won't go in the trash, that's for sure.

10"x14" watercolor on Arches 140lb. cold press paper.

Hayden Valley Buffalo

This mornings painting. A scene of some buffalo crossing a creek in Yellowstone National Park's Hayden Valley area. Yellowstone is truly a national treasure. I love that place.

14"x10" watercolor

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone

Here is the completed painting.
10"x14" watercolor

Falls of the Yellowstone Reference

It was getting late in the day and I wanted to get some better, closer, photos of the falls; so I ran down Uncle Tom's Trail (and about 300 metal steps) to the base of the falls.

I can't begin to describe how awesome it is to stand there and see, smell, hear, and feel this majestic site. It was almost hypnotic to stand there and watch the water pour over the ledge and I was particularly drawn to that turquoise wedge of water on the left hand side...so artfully perfect.

 Here's an interesting link to info on the trail: http://www.yellowstonepark.com/2011/06/hike-yellowstone-national-parks-uncle-toms-trail/

So, here is the reference I'm using for the painting below.

The next image here is to show just how huge it is...notice the people standing at the observation platform that you can hardly see in the above image.

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone WIP

Work in Progress (WIP) on The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River.
10"x14" on Arches 140lb. cold press

This is kind of further along than other wips that I have posted before, but once I started I didn't stop until this point. I worked wet in wet and dry in wet starting with the very furthest back trees, then worked forward and down the right hand side, then did the cliff face on the left.

It still has work to do, so tune back in later.

Review of new work created during January 2013

Here are all the new paintings from this month.

"Wind River Cottonwood"
7"x11" watercolor
original not for sale

"The Cathedral Group"
20"x14" watercolor SOLD

"Sunrise With Brodie"
14"x10" watercolor

"Between A Rock And A High Place"
10"x14" watercolor

 

"Above Louis Lake In The Southern Wind River Mountains"
10"x14" watercolor

 

"Red Desert, Wyoming"
14"x7" watercolor

"Creek Explorer At The Rendezvous"
14"x20" watercolor

 

"At The Rendezvous No.1"
10"x7" watercolor
SOLD

"Traditional Dancer"
7"x10" watercolor SOLD

 

"American Buffalo In Yellowstone"
14"x10" watercolor  SOLD

First work of my new blog

I'm trying to loosen up my painting. Worked this almost entirely wet in wet. Paper is Arches 140lb. cold press quarter sheet (11"x15"
 Colors used:
W&N French Ultramarine
W&N Cobalt Blue
W&N Winsor Red
W&N Permanent Alizarin Crimson
W&N New Gamboge
 W&N Winsor Lemon
W&N Burnt Sienna

 Started with a quick sketch from a photo I had taken in Yellowstone National Park last year.

All artwork and images are copyright of Todd Derr.
Please don't steal my work, just ask.