# 27 River's Gold

To an artist, some things can be more exciting than real gold..... Like seeing a glowing,  bright golden bush down the river, while in Montana painting with a bunch of like-minded creative souls! I seem to have my camera in hand more often than the paint brush. Sometimes, it is a good thing, as you can only paint so many hours on location in a days time! That's when the camera comes in handy. I started this plein air and scrapped it....it almost made it to the burn pile, but instead, it got a reprieve today and I tried again. The good thing about the studio is you are more relaxed and have more time to make color/value decisions.

It takes me right back to that afternoon, to standing on that road while dodging the huge, lumber trucks that were hauling trees to the mill. ( We thought we had chosen a quiet little back road that no one used!)

                                      #27 River's Gold
                                     8 x 10" oil on mat board   $75

Plein Air Magazine article

Getting an opportunity to paint in an incredible place such as Glacier National Park doesn't happen every day, so when the invite to extend our stay in MT so we could, I jumped at the chance. Painting with Wanda Mumm and Terry Smith was a great adventure! It was extremely windy on the mountain and luckily I could tighten my chin strap and had my Soltek easel. It never wavered in the wind!

Check out the blurb on Outdoor Painter.com in the article written by Steve Doherty....if you aren't signed up for their newsletter, feel free to do that while you are on the site.....it is FREE..

 http://www.outdoorpainter.com/news/warming-up-pays-off.html


We saw so many inspirational landscapes and wildlife that it is hard to settle down and choose one to paint but the grizzlies stand at the top of the list. Especially so as I purchased a bracelet with a bear paw print on and told my fellow artists, " We ARE going to see grizzlies while we are here!".

Not only did we see them once but FOUR times! What a memory!

Huckleberry picking

Wanda and I after climbing down from the mountainside with our huckleberries! Slim pickins' due to late in the season and being the bear's favorite snack! Since Wanda and Les disappeared to the top of the mountain with the bear spray, I am grateful none showed up.........

Saturday the sun was shining and making for a perfect day on the lake in the boat with fellow artists...including ret. Vice Admiral of the US fleets,  Roger Bacon....

Along the way we were rewarded with a visit from an eagle in the treetop..........

 

We also crossed the Canadian border; marked with a fence on Lake Koocanusa...

 

 

Nothing like finishing off the day with these margaritas.....

 

 

Thanks, Les...........Cheers!