Molas Lake and Snowdon Peak - pastel, 8x16

Snowdon and Twilight from Molas Lake

8x16 inches

pastel on archival board with Golden pumice ground

...from our trip to Molas Lake on Wed.  

It was a warm day (89 deg.) in Durango, so we headed up Hwy 550 to Molas Lake (~10,000'), for an afternoon of painting and fishing.   Early summer is here, and the snow is rapidly melting off the mountains, although not quite as fast on the north face of these two 13'ers.

I loved the abstract patterns the residual snow formed against the dark volcanic slopes of the mountains above timberline.  The biggest challenge painting this on location was the ever-changing reflections in the lake.  Overhead cumulus clouds and breezes would cast shadows and ripples, completely changing the appearance.  Because of the white mass of snow, I left out the clouds.   It was about 90% completed on location, and I finally got around to finishing it this afternoon.

Here are some other pictures taken from the trip:

Marsh Marigold (Psychrophila leptosepala)

One of the earliest blooming flowers in the alpine snowmelt bogs and marshes, these can be seen in large numbers from the road

The Grenadiers from Molas

View is to the southeast

Snowmelt waterfall near Lime Creek

Aspen, spruce and fir surround this transient drainage into Lime Cr.

Sandstone slope and aspen

To the east along the small trail leading above Lime Creek

Afternoon cloud against the hillside

Another small stream runs down the side of this slope to Lime Creek

Twilight Peak from Hwy 550 and the Lime Creek drainage