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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

So many friends I met here...!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

SCRIBBLE/DOODLE WINDOW My Way to Conquer Half Dome

 Someone on my Followers list is probably hit- by it looks like a scam named Jhoos?
To make it very clear:  I DID NOT SEND AN INVITE to anyone to join that site!!!


Do you remember the hike my family makes to Half Dome, the 9000 feet mountain in Yosemite National Park? And the last half hour they pull  themselves up on a "ladder" with gloves? I also mentioned that I conquer Half Dome in a different way: on canvas. I am now fulfilling my promise. This view is taken from beneath the mosquito rich patch of tall trees in the Valley, with benches with tables for the artists. 



 This mountain is climbed by hundreds of people every summer, and painted by dozens.
There are many different options how to paint such a mass of stone. 


© Watercolor, St.Germain
Often artists focus on the powerfulness of this mountain, its vast height, etc. painted in bold lines and warm earthy colors.  But since my whole family is in love with this mountain as a beautiful feature in nature, I chose to depict Half Dome as a friend  you visit on a warm summer day. 
I know it's a nostalgic and somewhat unrealistic view (some climbers have to abort their hike, because it's too much for them. I probably would be among them.

In Spring the whole field in the foreground is covered with bright yellow weed/wildflowers. One of the painting problems to address in this view is the large tree in front. I solved it by making the tree smaller than it actually is, to give the mountain more focus.
I left out a whole lot of details to give the top line of the mountain priority.

Another time I will show you a pastel of this mountain which is altogether different. But when you'll see the top line of the mountain, you'll muse, "When or where have I seen this before?"

27 comments:

Unknown said...

Jeanette, you've certainly captured what you set out to do, make the scene inviting, warm and a desirable haven for families. It's totally the artist's choice to intrepret, and the viewer's choice to be sold. I'm sold!

Unknown said...

I LOVE your tweaking of the picture!
The Dome stands out in a way I have not seen and I really like it.
And you did capture warmth, not formidability!

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

I like the way you have made the top in the clouds Jeannette. Makes it seem higher than it is.

Mingfei said...

I think it must be more interesting to freeze the beautiful sense by drawing it step by step rather than record it electronically by seconds of shutters. Nice pictures again!

Gaelyn said...

I love both these renditions, yet the all reds really captured me with a gasp. I love the way your simplicity always brings out the best in the scene. I always want to draw it all, and get way lost in too much detail. A good lesson in leaving it out.
Marvelous paintings Jeannette! I like the way you conquered Half Dome.

Jeannette StG said...

TO EVERYONE (in case you already left a comment before I found this out)
in case you get an invite from Jhoos - it does NOT come from me!!!
But I did get an invite from one of my followers. Next thing I know, 2 of my readers have gotten an invite from me!

Diane AZ said...

I like what you did with Half Dome. Your watercolor version looks much friendlier than photos I've seen of it (I've never been there.) The field of yellow and green looks particularly inviting to me.

VioletSky said...

Yes, that big tree is a beautiful nuisance!
I think, from a safe distance on the ground below, you can romanticize this rock any way you wish!

thanks for the warning - I wondered what that was about, thankfully, it made so little sense, I deleted it.

Unknown said...

No invites to me, but I may still be on the "dangerous to send an uninvited invite to" list!

Jeannette StG said...

Jane,
Thanks for the alert. You and someone else wrote me immediately - that helps!!
Most of the day was spent on rectifying this -I don't want other people to suffer (typical mom-syndrome, wouldn't you say?)
About the watercolor: thank you!

Jeannette StG said...

Joey, thank you! I do tweaking better and better LOL

Jeannette StG said...

Joan,You have seen well! And also that I left the top white...how easily you make a comment on paintings right now :)

Jeannette StG said...

Mingfei,
The advantage of being able to "freeze it" that I can choose the time - with photography you have to WAIT -not my strong point LOL
Thanks, Mingfei

Jeannette StG said...

Gaelyn,
I wouldn't want to conquer any other way, Gaelyn! I leave that up to you and others of my family who get a kick out of coming at the top:)

Jeannette StG said...

Diana,
If you ever get the chance to go there, go in Spring or early summer, the yellow fields in front are breath taking!

Jeannette StG said...

Violetsky,
Agreed, the tree is beautiful and majestic -in a different way than Half Dome,that's why it competes for attention!
The positive thing about the scam was that I altered some things that were long overdue LOL Thanks for getting back to me:)

Jeannette StG said...

Joey,
Since I didn't know how far they would go, I sent all my regular readers that email. And you are very clever, I can't find yours! That's what I should have done!

SAPhotographs (Joan) said...

I am a quick study and I had a good teacher. :)

crochet lady said...

It looks soft and welcoming, instead of hard and cold.

Jeannette StG said...

Joan,
Anything for a good friend! Hope your head ache has gone away?

Jeannette StG said...

Jen,
Thank you! How coincidental, I was just about to look up your blog - and I will right now LOL

Catherine said...

Jeannette I got a request to join this Jhoos network but ignored it as it looked scammy. I also got a message that you had changed your email address so you might want to look into that. I/m guessing you don't have a new email as it doesn't even look like a proper address and it follows too close on the heels of the scam yesterday. Respond in the comments box not by email in case you want me to let you know details - I will send to your email as needed once confirmed it hasn't changed!
All the best,
Catherine.

dogimo said...

I took a photo of that thing flying over (all the way to the bottom, lower left). The icon yet looms, only funnily diminished from commercial-airline heights.

Jeannette StG said...

Catherine,
You probably already read the comment on your blog, just in case - the one on yahoo is my new one. It came quick, because in my profession it's the same as with yours: you learn to think in seconds to react, if it's a matter of life and death (that last is jokingly of course in this case!). Damage control -heh I've learned something, spending all those thousands of dollars!

Jeannette StG said...

dogimo,
Well, finally that flying thing paid off:) why my blog, dogimo?

Four Seasons in a Life said...

Here I am ready to comment on the photograph when I start reading the comments regards a scam. Two weeks ago Jhoos was traveling through FaceBook and attacking computers, capturing email addresses then sending our robotic invites.

But back to the photograph. I know this spot well even though I have not been there in more than 20 years. But the last time I visit, there was a stream close by and I set up my large view camera and took a shot.

It is still my favorite photograph of all those I took from Yosemite.

Thank you for bringing back a memory.

Wishing you a wonderful week and I shall return,
Egmont

Jeannette StG said...

Egmont,
Thanks for visiting:)
Hope someone will stop that scammer!

Don't know if you grew up here or in Holland, but coming from a flat land, I have to say that I love the mountains.
Happy that I gave you a memory of something noteworthy!