Painting The Linville Gorge

On Tuesday Sept 11, 2012, Craig Franz, Kevin Beck and I descended into the Linville Gorge for a day of painting. 

We had a cloudy start in the morning during my 1st painting.

8 x 10 oil morning study, everything was very subtle and I added a little break in the overcast to create some interest and made the distant mountain more purple relating to the sky color.

Kevin Beck surveys the next painting scene.

Kevin's first one, he doesn't normally paint small but due to the trip
down, we had to pack light.

Craig and Kevin producing

Craig Franz 6 x 8 oil on gessoed watercolor paper

8x10 oil 10AM, the sun began to shine intermittently

Kevin Beck's Rock study about 11AM

Time for a siesta I think, actually Kevin is peeling an apple

About noon these giant boulders became quite beautiful with a bit of back lighting.

Craig Franz "the rock" 6 x 8 oil on gessoed watercolor paper

Scott Boyle 6 x 8 oil , on gessoed watercolor paper, 1pm

Kevin Beck's afternoon cascade painting, Nice upright design!

About 3:30PM my buddies left and I painted this small 6 x 8 study.  The sun was getting lower on the horizon which gives us more color.  This is my favorite of the day.  I like the light pattern, kind of an L-shape shadow light.  I would like to paint something larger of this on during my studio time.

On my way out I got a picture of this old Eastern Hemlock Tree.  They have all died out in this area.  I don't know if you can imagine the size of these big guys.  Probably about 6 feet in diameter at the base.  If one of the limbs drops off on your head, you've had a bad day.

Here you can see some of the enormous White Pines on the ridge line. 

On the way out I stopped at the Brown Mountain Overlook along NC 181 to paint Table Rock and Hawks Bill which is the eastern wall of the Linville Gorge.

6 x 10 oil at 5:45PM, Table Rock on the left if a profile not recognized by most people as it doesn't look like a table at all. 

Ah that beautiful last light!

8 x 8 oil, 6:20PM The sun is almost down.  Spent about 15-20 minutes on this one.

Thank you Lord for another day!