El Capitan, oil on canvas, 40x30" Studio piece painted from field studiesI just finished this painting this morning. It was done from sketches that I did in Yosemite National Park this past summer. I did several plein aire sketches and many small pen and ink and watercolor sketches in my mole skiene book.
When I got home most of my photographs are of El Capitan as viewed from El Capitan Meadow. It is an enormous view but encompasses so much with all the trees, vegetation, sky, clouds, and the huge El Capitan itself. The largest single piece of granite in the world. Remember what I said about being overwhelmed with the scene? Too much to capture? I simplified this painting by zeroing in on the enormous face of this rock, showing the pine trees that are dwarfed by its presence. I had zeroed my camera in on a close up scene of the rock face as well as doing a quick sketch of the view I knew I would later want to paint back in the studio.
Get yourself to Yosemite if you haven't been there yet. There is an entire world in that 7 mile long valley just waiting to be captured on canvas!
