Crown of Clouds

Rock Canyon is less than five minutes from my house. My dog and I are frequently on this trail. It is in the early morning that this trailhead is most
magical, as the morning sun lights up the escarpment in the shape of a castle! On this particular morning I was completely awestruck by the clouds hovering
over the cliffs, and the atmospheric perspective making each layer hazier, increasing the sense of depth. My favorite days are the ones when clouds blur
the line between heaven and earth! In this painting I was interested in capturing the contrast between the brightly lit rock faces against the receding shadows, and the contrast between the softness of the clouds against the jagged rocks. I used M Graham watercolors for most of the painting, and Schmincke super-granulating colors toward the end to take advantage of the texture of the paper in representing the textures on the ground.