Colorado calling!

Yesterday a "cold front" came down, bringing a cooling rain, and our temps here in Austin, TX dropped from 107 to 92 degrees.  This "tinge of autumn" in the air makes me yearn for my home state of Colorado.  Lucky for me, I am doing a commission for Colorado based fabric artist, Lisa Rea, as a barter.  The painting is based on references that I gathered during my visit to Colorado this summer. Since I grew up and went to college in Durango, CO. I have sensory memories of the Rocky Mountains etched into my my brain. Wherever I have lived since I moved from Colorado, I have always felt the coming of autumn there. So it's not difficult to "climb into the canvas", which I coated with yellow gesso last week, and allowed to cure for a few days.

 Hand crafted 36 x 48 x 2.5" canvas

12 x 9" color comp on canvas 

 

 Meanwhile, I have been sketching and doing color comps to make sure I capture the feeling of autumn in CO. A few more preparation sketches, and it will time to take a deep breath, and work directly on the 36 x 48 x 2.5" canvas.  That is the moment I live for as an artist!  Exciting!

I will have an opportunity to plein air sketch in Rocky Mountain National Park in end of Sept.
I am sure to retrieve imagery for my ongoing Aspen Series which is now on view at studio2gallery in Austin, TX.  Here's to the change of seasons!