Yosemite!

"Bridal Veil Falls" 16x12" Pastel

My family and I took a drive out to Yosemite for a much needed Spring Break. We drove from Portland, OR to Mariposa, CA in about 12 hours, and were so glad to be stable in our new Hideaway by 5 pm. I rented us a place through AirBnB and it was delightful and clean, and it accommodated all we needed for rest from our daily outings.  Once we arrived in Mariposa, we gathered food items from the market for snacks and quick morning b-fasts for early starts out to the park. Yosemite was about a 35 minute drive from our Hideaway, and was scenic with bolders getting larger as we approached the Park. Our first day-trek out to Yosemite, we took a longer route that rides circuitously through Oakhurst and wound through the hills and entered up to the Tunnel View. I waisted no time to set up and paint.

This photo does no justice to the depth and breath of this view. It is a must see in real life!

While I thought my family would take this time to hike the trail above the viewing area while I painted, they instead decided to watch people watching me. I thought they were nuts as it's just tourism at it's best, with nearly every language spoken at the rim. I heard what I believed was Japanese, Romanian, and Swedish, but what the best part was when a bunch of fun loving Italians sang a wonderful spirited song right next to me while I painted. Oh, I love this job!

The Valley Below  12x16" Pastel

View of Yosemite Falls, midmorning, upon completing the piece.

Yosemite Falls  12x12" Pastel

Painting at Mirror Lake

Many people are curious and stop to ask about my painting. Some take photos of me, and when they do, I ask if they would please share them with me. It's not always possible to get a good shot of me doing what I love, but this one rocks! The photographer is Carlyn K and we connected through our imagery. You can see her beautiful work HERE.

Mirror Lake  11x14" Pastel