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October 14, 2011

Niagara Falls in the Fall

I spent last weekend taking in the incredible majesty of Niagara Falls. Even though I had been there before, it amazed me to see the immense volume of water crashes over the edge and thundering on the rocks and river below.

2 views of the Falls in my sketchbook. Watercolor pencil and graphite

I sketched this on site in pencil fairly detailed but refrained from adding color as my pages were getting wet from the spray of the ever-present mist of the Falls. I added color later on from memory. Standing beside the edge of the Falls is a real experience, where you can see through the water to see the edge of the cliff beneath and due to the high velocity of the passing water one experiences the illusion that is they who are speeding along rather than the river.
View of the Falls from my hotel room. 8×10 oil on panel

I brought along supplies hoping to get a chance to paint and I was happy to find a great view from my hotel room. I woke up early the next morning and painted while my family got ready for the day. I kept the edge of the hotel in my painting because I thought it was an interesting contrast of raw natural beauty and the evidence of man. This was a particular challenge painting directly into the sunrise.