Sunday, July 27, 2014

Rachel Lake Hiking

Since last week I hiked a wrong trail, I went back again and found the official Rachel Lake trail #1313 trailhead and hiked up. It took me about 3 hours to get to the lake and took a little more than 2 hours to come down. The trail actually continues to Rampart Ridge from there but it was already 2PM so I decided to go down. The trail was along a creek so I enjoyed view of many water falls. No wonder why this trail is so popular. I saw many people along the trail.

At the end when I came down to the trailhead, I saw a chipmunk stayed still on the road. I took a couple of shots with my Nikon P520. The clear/close shot like below was not possible until I got this camera, which has x42 zoom. Looks like it found food a camper or hiker left behind.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Some progress on rocks

Still only half of rocks I worked on so far, but still progress. Maybe before working on the rest of rocks I should define the detail of trees by curving in from the background clouds and sky. Then I could see how the final would look like.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Lost in Box Canyon

Again, this is not directly art-related. But I'll most likely paint one out of this hiking photos or from the next hiking in the near future because I almost lost in the forest and wondered around about 2 hours before finally found the lower trail, which was actually not the one I intended to hike today. Apparently I was on a wrong trail from the beginning! I figured it out only after I came home and researched again with google map.

The trailhead parking was accessible only from Kachess Lake (east side) and at the end of 3 mile dirt road. I apparently missed the trailhead on the right hand side the road and, instead, kept going along NF-4930. No wonder why it ended unexpectedly and I had to climb up steep forest slope without trail. I took above photo on a big rock when I decided giving up finding the lake and turning around. It was about 1PM. On my way down, I climbed down straightly to the creek because Box Canyon Creek flows along the trail. Only problem was the creek I thought it was Canyon Creek was actually its West Fork, which flows in a distance from NF-4930. As the result, I couldn't get back on the NF road, then lost.

I don't want to talk how treacherous the path was, which I had to walk through. I fell not only a couple of times because I couldn't see my footage due to thick low trees and vegetation. Sometimes it was swampy. Many of low bushes had thorns, and so on.

Anyway, the bottom line is I came down safely only with some minor cuts and bruises. I saw some hikers at the parking when I got back. I never saw along MY trail, and wondering where they were hiking. I promise I'll try again soon.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Started defining edges of rocks

I haven't touched this for more than month. But finally decided to define edges of rock shapes with much thicker applications (look at two distinctive rocks in the middle of the image).
Although I still can't decide how light those lighted part of rocks should be, I'm sure those should not this much purple but rather greyer.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Columbia River Gorge trip

Over the last holiday weekend I rode down to Portland then Columbia River Gorge. In Portland I visited PAM and galleries except Elizabeth Reach Gallery, which was closed over the weekend. I stayed at Stevenson, WA, at the second night and painted there. Originally I was thinking going back to Oregon side but afraid of the crowd I experienced a day before.

I can clearly say the far mountains and greens on them were still too dark compared to the trees in front. Then sky is too blue purple (I should have mixed more yellow). I think those ruined this composition. I need to try it again somewhere.