Hello Everyone,
It has been several months since I last posted on my blog. In September, my family and I went to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. I was able to get incredible reference material that I'm working on translating into paintings.
The painting I posted today is of Lake of Glass, a beautiful alpine lake that is surrounded on three sides by a cathedral of mountain peaks. To get there, one has to hike almost 4.5 miles with a 1,700 foot elevation gain. Keep in mind you start out at over 9,000 feet above sea level. I did this hike with 30 lbs of painting gear on my back. I knew a camera would not capture all the beautiful colors or the large feel of the mountains.
The hike was long but beautiful. I passed through cliffs, lakes, waterfalls, wooded creeks, and a field of boulders as I got higher and closer to my destination. Almost at the end of the hike, in order to reach Lake of Glass, one must do an almost vertical 30 foot climb up the side of Timberline Falls. As I started to climb I almost panicked because I could feel the weight of my backpack pulling on me. So I climbed back down.
I stood there for a few minutes, debating if I should just give up and go back or take the risk and climb. I had trained for months to make this hike, but I didn't want to break my neck going up the waterfall. Finally, I emptied by backpack of the excess things I knew I wouldn't immediately need and hid these things in a nearby bush. I then made the climb. When I got over the rocks my breathe was almost taken away by the incredible view, as well as the incredibly strong and cold wind that blasted my face. The wind can be very strong when you are over 10,000 feet above sea level.
After I set up my painting gear I realized I had accidentally unpacked my white paint and left it below the waterfall. So I climbed back down, got the paint and climbed back up. I did two field studies while there. Later, another artist who had made the climb arrived and painted next to me. It was nice to have some company. When my second painting was completed I packed up and made the climb back down the waterfall. I was happy to get back down without breaking my neck. After that I made the almost 4.5 mile trek back to my car.
I had never been so exhausted as I was after that hike, but the field studies have proved invaluable in recording the atmosphere and colors I saw. And I felt a sense of accomplishment in overcoming my fears in making the climb.
This painting is a studio study, oil on linen panel, 14" x 11". I have already started a large version which will be 48" x 36". This study is available at Highlands Art Gallery in Lambertville, PA. If you are interested in adding this beautiful painting to your collection contact Highlands at
highlandsart@comcast.net.
Lake of Glass Study
oil on linen panel, 14" x 11"
See more at www.JasonTako.com
