Hell Roaring Falls #4

“Hell Roaring Falls #4”
22”x28” Unframed – Oil on Canvas

Laura Marie Anderson © May 6, 2007

I started this painting on April 14. I loved the icicles that hung from all the different places and decided to make this painting about the vast size of the canyon dwarfing the falls. Visually they are about 20’ tall, but in the canyon which is much taller they can seem dwarfed. I went back to this spot three different days and then the snow was melted. Today I went back there to lighten up the rocks. In comparison to the bright snow, the rocks seemed very dark but in the house they seemed too dark. I can back this morning and turned my easel so that it was out of the direct sunlight. This made a huge difference. This painting seems to have sort of a surreal quality about it, but I like it.

Windy Sunny Day

16x20" oil on canvas

Available at $800.

The forecast was for 48-50 degrees. I waited with anticipation.

I started this painting on October 10th. The first day for me to miss a painting, but it wasn’t close to being finished. I had to wait for the perfect day. A sunny day when the snow was somewhat melted compared to yesterday.

At this time of the year the sun comes over the mountain and hit the other side of the lake around 9am finally making its way to this side about 11am. By the time the sun made it, the winds had picked up to about 55mph, and the lake white capping for most of the day. About 2:30 the winds died down. I was going to change my position and move myself out more into the sun, but decided to wait for one hour and see if the winds were still down. About fifteen minutes later, gusty winds blew across the lake and the blue waters stirred until long after the sun set.

Also, check out the changes to yesterdays painting. I woke up in the middle of the night wondering if the icicles had fallen of during the course of the day or if I had somehow just failed to paint them in. They were the item that made yesterday special. Our first icicles of the winter.

I looked this morning and sure enough the icicles were still there. Wow, makes me wonder where my brain was. I think the icicles improve it 100%.

Icy Cold

9"x12" oil on prepared masonite

Available at $125.

Today was cold, but there was no wind. I waited for the sun to appear, but it never made it’s way out from behind the thick clouds. So, I decided to paint this chilly scene.

The snow that came down yesterday lay in wait for the sun to melt it.

View from the Porch

10x8" Oil on Prepared Masonite

Available - Click above

This morning I was painting a gourd - see below. When I came out of my zone, about noon, I turned around to see huge snowflakes coming down. About one o’clock, I finished the gourd painting and proceeded to sit down to a lunch in front of the window. The trees were accumulating snow and the view across the lake was almost totally obscured. I was thinking about a lovely painting I came across yesterday where most of the edges were lost. I thought this would be another perfect opportunity to try that sort of painting, again.

“View from the Porch” will make a wonderful addition to your collection.

Snow on the Mountain

6"x12" Oil on Canvas

Available on eBay Starting November 8th,
check back for link to bid

This afternoon the skies went from completely gray to a spotty blue sky. When I walked outside it felt almost warm. This painting seemed to paint itself. I was happy with the medium I used, the brushes and the surface. Some days are just like that.

First Snow

6"x8" Oil on archivally prepared Masonite

Finally, I am caught up. Last night about 9:30 it began to snow. At 4 o'clock this afternoon it finally slowed way down. Still having not figured out blogging yet, but getting closer, I put on my Carhartts and headed out into the snow. Being just under 30, it seemed fairly brisk, but there was no wind, so it was a good time to go out. What a change from yesterday. I wanted to find something special about the day. Heading towards the walk bridge, on the path now covered with ten inches of snow, I passed this willow, still full of leaves and weighed down with snow.