MT INDEX FROM THE SKYKOMISH

Prints of this painting can be purchased here now: http://www.inprnt.com/gallery/jeremiahjolliff/

Unfortunately, a timelapse video was not created for this artwork.

This is an Original Oil Painting executed en plein air by Fine Artist Jeremiah Jolliff

This was an early en plein air painting completed near Index Washington and it is of Mt. Index.  It was painted along the Skykomish River just upstream of the town of Index.

This was an exciting adventure and i returned to this spot a few times in an attempt to get it right.  When I was out painting this, one of the strangest things happened.  I was directly on the bank of the Skykomish and looked up to see a black bear swimming across the river directly at me!  The bear was pretty much across the stream and then it leapt out of the stream, ran up the bank, crossed over the road and ran off into the woods.  The whole event took about five seconds and I couldn’t believe it.  The bear was within ten yards of me.  It was crazy.

Needless to say, Washington state is one of the most gorgeous places I have been.  There are massive mountains, beautiful rugged coastlines and perfect farmland everywhere west of the cascades in between.  East of the Cascades the brilliant blue sky reigns supreme over the high desert like sage-land with chasm and gorges of great watersheds.

What really attracted me to the spot was the way the rocks and clouds looked near sunset, reflecting the brilliant golden hues.  An interesting part was how the tiny current in the elbow of the river raged an eery cool white despite the warmth of the stones.  I used a glazing technique once the painting dried to communicate the warmth of the stones heaped up on the other side of the river.