Continuing my autumn series, “Cascade Gold” represents being drawn into the glowing forests to explore. A walker’s pace lets us discover hidden treasures along a multitude of pathways. The wind whispering in the trees and the water moving through the valley create a soft, soothing music.
Oil on linen panel, 12″ X 16″. This painting can be purchase on my website at http://www.theartistsjourney.com in the “buy art and book” section.
Please stop by and view the art show that I am participating in at Carillon Point in Kirkland, Wa. from September 9 through November 21, 2019. There will be an artist guided walk through of the art at 4:00 pm on Friday, October 11. Meet the artists, Marcia Shaver, Nadia Hakki and Corina Linden, in front of building 4000. Please see the show details below.
Artist: Nadia Hakki nadiahakki.com
Artist: Marcia Shaver marciashaver.com
Artist: Corina Linden corinalinden.com
The second painting in my autumn series represents the rugged, nearly vertical face of Mt. Index. Glimpses of this stunning part of the Cascade Mountains flicker in and out of view as we climb toward Stevens Pass. Walking the trails and ridge lines near Mt. Index is a breathtaking experience right here in our own backyard!
I grabbed my easel and rushed out the door to meet Nadia at the Volunteer Park Dahlia Gardens in Seattle again this morning. I was set up to paint by 8:30, when I realized that I had forgotten my palette with all of my paints in it. Duh! Making due, I had an even more limited palette of colors today, because I “borrowed” a tiny dab of red, yellow, blue, orange, green, violet, and white that Nadia had already mixed up. She had used pthalo blue to mix the green, which is what gives the pretty turquoise colors. I completed my one panel and was packed up in exactly 1 hour. It was such a good exercise and nice morning in the sunshine. It feels as if fall has arrived, but I am savoring the time outside.
Nadia and I spent a lovely morning Plein Aire painting at the Volunteer Park Dahlia Garden in Seattle. I had many little piles of paint mixed from paintings that I just finished, so I challenged myself to do this painting using just the colors that I had. It was fun to be out with so many people enjoying these spectacular flowers.
As we see the colors beginning to alter, and we move toward fall in the Pacific Northwest, I am reminded of the positive aspects of change. On day last fall when the skies cleared, I put all of my plans aside in order to take a drive from my home in Redmond along highway 2 to Leavenworth, Washington. The autumn colors were at their most beautiful. I painted a series of images based on the photographs that I took that day. I don’t think you can ever go wrong taking the time to make stunning visual memories.
“High Cascades” is an interpretation of the journey along the Skykomish River.
Recently we took my Mom over to Olympic National Park. Ironically, there is no place as beautiful as the rain forest on a sunny day! The air is fresh, the old growth forests are magnificent, and it is quite magical. That is what you get when the rain is measured in feet, not inches, per year. The beaches are pristine and undeveloped because all the way from the Straights of Juan de Fuca almost to Grays Harbor the coast is either Native land or part of the Olympic National Park. What a treasure we have right here in our back yard. The photo is of a 12″ X 16″ oil painting that I did of the amazing “Split Rock” a couple of miles hike up Rialto Beach. I feel a series of paintings coming from this rich imagery. www.marciashaver.com
