Paul

My workshop painted the chapel at Yosemite today. We still had problems with getting the paint to dry and froze our tails off until almost 1:00. Some of the high rock formations keep the valley in shadow for most of the day. This is a tough group of plein air painters. The worse the conditions,…

Today's workshop was a challenge. My paper buckled from the humidity before I even started painting on it. The cold made weilding a paintbrush more difficult and my fingers kept wanting to retract into my fingerless gloves. I chose a close-up view of Yosemite Falls, as did most of my group. It was all wet-in-wet…

The falls at Yosemite don't run unless it rains. My painters were treated with spectacular views in a 52 degree, damp studio. We had a tough time getting the paint to dry. A few sprinkles added that "plein air" authenticity. We toughed it out as long as we could without a Starbucks.

The bears at Yosemite seem to defy gravity. Their agility and resourcefulness are astounding.

I was told to be on the lookout for hungry bears, and wasn't disappointed to see this tree-climbing teddy picking apples. He must have eaten a few of the fermented ones on the ground first as he appeared to be drunk climbing the tree. His descent was rather comical and his arrival at the ground…

I am so lucky to be in Yosemite this time of year! The waterfalls are gushing from the clouds. The trees are Naples yellow against a dark green backdrop. The meadows are burnt sienna and filled with deer. For the next week I'll be painting and teaching workshops here. Could be worse!