| JOSEPH BURROUGH |
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| TETON PAINTINGS 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A few years ago at an art workshop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I met another artist by the name of Bill Smith, an award-winning wildlife and landscape painter. Since then, we’ve become good email buddies. Bill, his wife, and his son have a gorgeous home outside Jackson with spectacular views of the Teton Mountain range. This June, I accepted his standing invitation to come out and paint with him in Grand Teton National Park. Breathtaking views in every direction. Clear, clean, crisp, dry air that makes great detail visible from even 8-10 miles away. There’s nothing like it back East. All images © Copyright 2008, Joseph E. Burrough, III Fine Art |
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| View from Bill's house at dawn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bill also invited John Taft, an artist originally from New York now living with his family in Colorado, to join us for a few days of "plein air" painting. We had a great time sharing and painting together. The first day, June 8, we rafted 8 miles down the Snake River from Deadman’s Bar to Moose Junction, using Bill’s newly purchased inflatable pontoon rafts. They were really cool. Unfortunately, the skies were a bit overcast all day and temps were on the cold side, but bundled up in fleece layers and waders, I don’t remember being uncomfortable. The Snake was being fed by springtime melt, so it was running fast with sand and silt clouding the waters. Impressive views of the Tetons looming above. A distant elk standing in a glade. A bald eagle perched atop a dead lodgepole pine. I took as many reference photos as rafting would allow. It was critical not to let the raft rush into fallen tree trunks, rocks or rapids, so we had to be vigilant and work the oars. Due to the weather and the speed of the Snake, we didn’t even bother to load our painting gear. What an experience! |
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| On June 9, we hiked to this spot near Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park. Although the skies were overcast off and on, we had a commanding view (at least when we started) of the Tetons still covered with snow in June. These are awesome mountains to see in person. When painting “en plein air” (in the open air) it is rarely wise to paint “the big picture” postcard view––there’s just too much information to record in a short amount of time, in an area well-known for its fast-changing weather. But, "By golly, I’m in the Tetons, and I’m going to paint them!” I said to myself. So I pulled out my 12 x 16 canvas linen panel and got to work. My cohorts chose the wiser approach, working on smaller panels of more intimate scenes. John did a study of the round rocks at his feet, as a warmer-upper. This earned him the marketing by-line: “John Taft, Painter of Rocks”. He then turned and painted a scene across the stream, I think. And maybe a third study. Bill worked on a study of a few trees with the Snake River stream in the foreground. Me, I worked on a big, honking postcard view! I actually got a lot accomplished and really only needed to finish the snowfields and rocks on the mountains back in the studio. To see a larger version, just click on the image: |
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| The Tetons over Snake River | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| We moved on to another painting location at the Windy Point turnout, where I set up my easel and painted Mt. Jackson in the distance behind the lower end of Blacktail Butte. |
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| Mt. Jackson over Blacktail Butte | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The next day, June 10, was rainy, so we trucked into Jackson Hole and checked out the competition in the galleries. Bill is represented in The West Lives On Gallery and John is in Astoria Gallery. Lots of good galleries and good artists in Jackson Hole. We grabbed some deli sandwiches and headed out to GTNP at the Taggart Lake parking area where we spotted a mangy moose cow and her young calf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| After hiking a couple of miles up, we arrived with gear at Taggart Lake––a beautiful spot with the Tetons rising above in full view. Awesome. Although tempted to paint the “big picture”, I showed restraint, and worked on this small scene of a sunlit rock and fallen trees in Taggart Lake. Besides it was getting late, and the sun was setting behind the mountains! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| "Fallen Trees in Taggart Lake" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| On my final full day in Jackson Hole, we awoke to overcast skies and light snowshowers––on June 11, no less!!! Not to wimp out (like my gracious host Bill, who worked in the warmth and comfort of his studio while I “toughed it out” in the “driving” snowshowers from the deck outside his studio), I decided to paint the spring aspens and sage on the hillside nearby. This was a lifetime achievement––painting in a snowshower in June, with snowflakes sticking to the canvas as I worked. Note the neoprene fishing gloves. |
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| Toughing it out... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yes, that's snow in June! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| And the result... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Aspens and Sage in June Snowshower" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Later, I turned my easel and painted a small 6" x 8" canvas looking across Walton's Ranch to the base of the Teton Range.
Despite the unseasonable weather, it was a wonderful trip, enhanced by the fellowship of like-minded friends with a good sense of humor, and yet a seriousness about their art, all made possible by the generous hospitality of my good buddy Bill and his wife Jolene. |
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| "Low Ceiling over the Walton Ranch" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | Click on any painting above to enlarge and read more details. | NEXT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All images © Copyright 2008, Joseph E. Burrough, III Fine Art | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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