This is my latest painting of an autumn landscape with a big bull elk bugling. It represents what I view as a classic Colorado fall scene. The elk reference I used in this picture was taken from a photograph I took years ago in Rocky Mountain National Park. The autumn landscape was taken near the Silverthorne/Vail area on a fall colors photography trip, while the sagebrush in the foreground was taken from yet another photograph. Putting all these images together in a rough composite allowed me to tweak the composition exactly the way I wanted it. I then adjusted the lighting so they fit together. Artist license... it's allowed!
Elk reference photo
Inpiration background photo
Photoshopped reference photo
Recently, I have been working on my technique with the goal to paint faster without sacrificing quality. I try to use a larger brush for much of the piece to fill in sections faster giving the illusion of texture and detail, especially in the background. Another thing that I'm learning is that using a solid reference photograph goes a long way toward creating that realistic, engaging image. It's fun to compare images from the past to see how you've grown as an artist. Below is a similar painting I completed when I was in college 15 years ago. Side by side with this current one, you can see a lot of technical improvements:
15 years ago
Today
Last, here's a complete time-lapse video of the entire painting process:
This past year, we visited specific scenic locations four different times throughout the year. We chose easily accessible, yet scenic areas of Colorado to shoot all four seasons. These photographs represent what I believe to be iconic views of our mountains with aspens or other foliage in the foreground to show the changing of the colors in the different seasons. The first area is the Sawatch Range of central Colorado near the towns of Leadville and Buena Vista:
The second location was close to home. Rocky Mountain National Park and the Front Range are within an hour of our home, so naturally it works well for us to take day trips to get to these spots easier:
This is my third series of photographs taken at one location in all four seasons. Bear Lake is probably the most popular spot in Rocky Mountain National Park. It's the start of many hikes in the Glacier Gorge area and has an excellent view of the tallest mountain in the park, Longs Peak. This particular view is a bit off the beaten path and a pleasure to photograph in the stillness and silence above the crowds below. It only took me about a year to complete! 😄
This painting is the latest in a series of artworks depicting classic views of some of Colorado's highest peaks. The view here is from near the city of Boulder looking toward the jagged foothill rock formations known as the Flatirons (center/left). Above is the towering 14er Longs Peak and Mt. Meeker in Rocky Mountain National Park. Below and to the right of center you can see the National Center for Atmospheric Research buildings contrasting the giant landmarks. It was a fun process that took approximately 10 hours. These iconic mountains are special to me and symbolize our home in the Front Range.
The video below shows the entire process in time-lapse:
