2022-11-09 Oil on Panel Bartlett, NH

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Mt. Washington is one of my sacred places. Never tried to paint this landscape before. Felt overwhelming. I am usually on this great rockpile in the White Mountains riding up on a bicycle, hiking or skiing. Painting it is more difficult! The summit is the far peak in the distance. I wasn’t trying to paint a portrait but am very respectful of this mountain’s general dimensions and the lay of the land. As I painted I found it hard to understand how I can ride straight up that monster. Fast! I had been painting mountains for a few days in Jackson. This was my last stop. Amazed that I was able to release expectations since nothing had gone well in prior days and I was frustrated with myself. Before I tackled the big view I gave myself a break and just went after the Gulf of Slides for fun and with no thought of it being a worthwhile painting, just a worthwhile effort. In retrospect, it was just like a pre-race warm up and served me well. Then after the big one, I went after one my 5x7 as I just didn’t feel done though I could barely stand against the wind (in fact the whole setup blew over once) and my hands and feet were frozen and I knew I had only minutes to wrap up. But that all worked too, for a fast and loose reprise of the mountain before I said goodbye.