Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Adirondack Vacation

Some watercolor studies in my Moleskine sketch book. This is Bubb lake in Eagle Bay (of Bubb and Sis Lake, just before Moss Lake) in the morning. It was about a 15 minute hike into the woods. Very secluded, not another person around, common for a lot of the lakes up here. A loon appeared right in front of me. I looked down at my sketchbook for a few seconds and when I looked back up, he had disappeared. He surfaced again about 100 yards away.


This is Little Long Lake in the early morning fog. Version below is shortly after the fog cleared. As I was painting in my moleskin sketchbook at about 6 am, the perfect calm and peacefulness of my Adirondack experience was shattered by a guy walking up the road, whistling and talking to himself REALLY LOUDLY. I sat really still and quiet, hoping he would just walk on by. No such luck. Then I hear the crunching of gravel under his feet getting closer, and he says very loudly, "Hey buddy, did you catch anything??!" I ignored him again, hoping he was talking to someone else who actually had a fishing pole. Not a chance. He came down to where I was painting and started a conversation. The thought that popped into my head as he described White Lake as being the Manhattan of the Adirondacks was that out of 6 million acres of forever wild land, how did this guy stumble upon me? When I experience the Adirondacks, the last thing I want is Manhattan! Anyway, he turned out to be a nice enough guy... offered me the use of his canoe, etc. Probably would have given me a fishing pole too!



Different versions of White Lake, a very crowded, a lot of boats. Not exactly the Adirondack experience.
From the Adirondack Museum cafe overlooking Blue Mountain Lake.

A few sketches from inside the Adirondack museum. The sketch on left is of a model of a building from Santa's Workshop, designed by Arto Monaco. The first step in realizing the theme parks he helped build or built himself in the late 1940's, which included Santa's workshop and the Land of Make Believe.


A totem pole from memory, outside of Blue Mountain Lake.

9 comments:

Dorota said...

Nice sketches Jeff. But what happened to a piece before those? I thought it was so good!!!

Jeff Harter said...

Thanks Dorota. Wasn't sure if I love or hate it. Maybe I'll put it back up.

Jeff Harter said...

All right, freaky fullback is back up by Dorota demand :o)

See under meetings notes.

Dorota said...

I love that one. Thank you for putting back. And by the way- beautiful watercolors.

John T Quinn III said...

great post jeff! i wish i could paint landscapes. you mak it look so easy.
im in PA but not getting any sketch time.
jersey shore tomorrow.

spenceman said...

my watercolors in my moleskin look nothing like yours -- like JTQ says, you make it look effortless. Nice.

Leeanna Butcher said...

Cool to see some personal work - love the location painting Jeff! The Adirondacks look amazing.:)

Jeff Harter said...

Thanks you guys! The paintings do not capture the sheer beauty and solitude of the Adirondacks. A place everyone should see. It's just my favorite place in the world.

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