BRIDGEHEAD

A bridgehead is at the foot of Vernal and Nevada Falls (targeted destinies for hikes to see these water falls and the revered 6 hour hike to Half Dome). Often hikers take a swim after coming back down from the trail.
This is the place where we fished on our vacation, and the squirrels got away with Junior's sippy cup with milk.

It is a perfect summer day at the shore of a wild foamy river. I think it is the Merced river (pronoune: mer-set).
In my first plein air session I didn't get very far, because my family provided for the necessary entertainment. My real work was done in the 2nd session when the the rest of the family had gone home and hubby made his long-desired hike to the falls.

Part of the hike to the first falls (Vernal Falls) has 2 routes. One is longer and easier, and the shorter one has part of the way high steps like stairs. Hubby walked this part with a forty-something man who did this climb for the first time with his prosthesis (artificial leg), starting from the knee.
The "stairs" were almost too hard for him, and he would take the longer route for the way back down. His family was waiting for him at the falls.
I applaud his bravery!

I sat on a real nice shady spot on the rocks by the water, between two tree trunks, sitting on a fishing stool. I had no easel with me, so I could sit on rocks, or a tree trunk or at the edge of the water. The less luggage the better! Since the hiking trail was higher, I had less distractions.

With this painting I wanted to show the ruggedness of the mountains and the wildness of the river. The trees were put in preliminary, because I forgot to bring lemon yellow with me, and burnt sienna!
The village close by is so small that it does not have a Michaels or another art supply store (but it does have 3 painting galleries, LOL).

After putting in the trees, I blocked in the background mountains very quickly. The sun would soon lighten the parts that were now in the shadow. Later on, I adjusted the colors of the mountains.
Behind the background trees on the left, was a huge red rock, but I muted the color, so it would stay in the background! If you click on the first photo, you can see that red rock more clearly.

This was painted both days late morning to early afternoon, with the sun right above our head. The sun intensified the whiteness of the foam, and the shadows of the trees on the shoreline.

Next, I indicated the bridge in the distance, and then the rocks in the water.
The light in the morning casts a brown-ochre on the rocks. Very interestingly, in the afternoon, the rocks look more of a brownish pink. I saved the wild water for last. Strange as it may sound, but that was the easiest part. Still need to clean up some edges, but this is basically "it."

Bridgehead. 11 x 15, Oil, St.Germain

A scene of a sunny summer day, a memory of a bridgehead at Happy Isles, in Yosemite National Park.