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.

Upper East Rosebud Lake Falls

“Upper East Rosebud Lake Falls”
10”x8” Unframed - Oil on Hardboard

Laura Marie Anderson © April 29, 2007

Yesterday, after dinner most of the Morledge family hiked up to the head of the lake and saw one large black bear and a goat. The bear was across the inlet and large enough to look like a moose at first. I wanted to have a birds eye view of the lake so I headed up the rocks. On the second level Karl and Riley were scoping for goats. Sam and I continued up. Over the edge of the third ledge Sam stopped. Twenty feet ahead of us lay a goat. The wind was perfect and he had not clue we were there. I didn’t have my camera. Bringing Sam down a level I motioned to Riley to get Karl up there as he had brought his camera. The goat soon took off. Shocked that we had gotten so close he nearly tripped and fell. Anyway, so Karl, his parents and I, went back up again this morning looking for more goats. I brought along my pack so I could stay a the falls above the main falls and paint. It’s about 200 feet from the trail down to this little falls. As the day heated up the water increased and before I left was painting in a fine mist that kept me cool on this very warm day.

Day 4 - Finished - "Hell Roaring Falls #3"

Day 4 –Finished – “Hell Roaring Falls #3”
40” x 30”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite
Laura Marie Anderson © December 27, 2006

I went back and forth on what to paint today. I wanted to finish my sister’s Christmas present, but also wanted to get this done. The space that I paint in a quite small and cluttered, so moving this painting out became imperative. I started my morning out painting on this painting. By mid afternoon I was signing it and moving it into the kitchen so that I could finish Sally. I am so happy to live so near to this beautiful falls and to think I used to drive into Yellowstone to see something as beautiful as this.

Day 3 - Work in Progress "Hell Roaring Falls #3"

“Day 3 -Work in Progress, Hell Roaring Falls #3”
40” x 30”
Available at ?
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite
Laura Marie Anderson © December 19, 2006

Lots of hours standing today. I feel this is nearly done. It is starting to please me. I see some things that I will work on tomorrow. All in all a productive day.

There are no new technical notes for this painting. There is a painting process note. Today the weather was spectacular. No wind and that lovely snow fall. The ice is almost solid again across the lake. At this point there is some fine ice skating to be had if the lake keep freezing and nothing changes. HA! Anyway, since I promised myself to make this small painting today and then work on this big one, there was no time for any plein air painting. What a shame. I did get in two nice walks, but many hours outside today would have been pleasant. Next time the weather is pleasant I am going to drop all plans and head out doors with my easel. I found some great new vantage points today.

Day 2 -Work in Progress - "Hellroaring Falls #3"

“Work in Progress, Hell Roaring Falls #3”
40” x 30”
Available at ?
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite
Laura Marie Anderson © December 18, 2006

I’m almost proud to say that I took the weekend off. The house has been in need of a cleaning and getting some things put away. I’m sort of a scatter girl.

I put in almost full day on this painting today. It seems to be coming along nicely. Tomorrow morning I am planning on painting a small painting. I’ve come across something I just can’t resist. The “almost a full day” is because it was a windless morning, so about eleven I went for a walk taking pictures hoping to come upon one that would serve as this years Christmas card. Although it was a lovely walk, the pictures were less that I hoped for, so I planned on going out during the sunset however it seemed to drop away without any color today. Perhaps tomorrow the opportunity will avail itself to a shot that sings of Christmas Time at East Rosebud.

On the technical end of this painting: I’ve added Viridian Green and gotten rid of the Burnt Umber. My medium now until the end of this painting will be Gamblin, Neo Megilp with poppy seed oil to slow down the drying process. Today I put 1-12 parts poppy seed/Neo Megilp. I have mixed up the medium for tomorrow already, it will be 2-12, and each succeeding day one more part oil, keeping with the fat over lean oil paint. This makes with archival. I have been concerned with archival since I before I was first commissioned to paint portraits. Who would want a portrait that would chip, peel or crack off the board or canvas in 5-10 years? It is always best for a artist to make works that will out live them and since I am planning to make it to at least 100, I best know what I am doing. I am taking these notes, because this is what is said to be archival. If in 50 years I find my painting not up to snuff, I’ll know what to blame.

Day 1-Work in Progress - "Hellroaring Falls #3"

“Day 1 - Work in Progress, Hell Roaring Falls #3”
40” x 30”
Available at ?
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite
Laura Marie Anderson © December 15, 2006

This is a work in progress. I have two completed Hell Roaring paintings. Both plein air, (painted on location), one is a 10”x8” the other 24”x18”, the first painted with a brush, the second with a palette knife. They can be seen by following this link: Hell Roaring Falls

I am going to share some technical notes here, for you and for me. I gessoed this hardboard with an acrylic gesso applying it with a foam roller. I then lightly sanded the board. I love the texture this provides. It is soft yet has some tooth about it. I then toned the board with Burnt Sienna and turpentine. When toning I use my brush dipped in turpentine to pull out the whites by wiping off the color with a rag. I then started the under painting in Brunt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, touches of Cadmium Yellow and Phthalo Turquoise Blue. I put in the darks and then put in the under color with the lights. I used a medium of ½ turpentine and ½ Galkyd, by Gamblin. I covered the surface, so now I am stopping for the day. My plan is to take this painting to the Falls next week and place it on this great easel my dad made for me. It was made exactly for this purpose. The wind shouldn’t be a problem there as the area is well sheltered, let’s hope the temperatures don’t drop dramatically.

East Rosebud Lake Falls

Old
New- Not Finished
“East Rosebud Lake Falls”
8” x 10”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite

Laura Marie Anderson © November 20, 2006

I painted this painting this past summer. It had to be the most boring painting. Since I have a cold, my energy is drained and it seemed easier to try to fix than to start from scratch. I changed the color scheme thinking I could go with the complementary colors, blue and orange and purple and yellow. Still it was a boring painting. I tried adding this goat. I got the best pictures to work from this fall when I came upon three goats. They were bright white from a recent rain and fat from a hardy summer. I would like to add some yellow to the fur but the paint is to thick and wants to blend with the blue/purple color underneath. I will leave this painting again for yet another day. As for today, it remains unfinished.

Broadwater Pond

“Broadwater Pond”
10” x 8”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
Available at $150.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 11, 2006

This is a plein air painting that I started on August 18 and finished today. Broadwater Pond is 4 miles up the trail from here. It seems to be nothing more than a wide spot in the river, but it is crystal clear and a wonderful turquoise color. Without seeing it these colors in person they are hard to believe.