The Great Western Divide is the name given to the ridge of peaks seen from the top of Moro Rock in the Sierra Nevada. On this side, water drains west and on the other side, it drains east .
I haven’t painted this before, at least not from this view. The mountains show in the distance of many of my citrus/foothills/mountain scenes, but only once did I try to make them perfect. And that was tricky, because I worked from many photos, piecing the range together, and then faking the hills.
Why did I fake the hills? Because they were different in every single photo, because each photo was taken from a different place. There is no place besides an aircraft where you can see the entire width of the Sierra Nevada.
Here we go. . .
At the end of the painting session, the light was a bit too low to be accurate on both the colors and the shapes.
So, I photographed it the next morning in the bright sunlight. Looks washed out because the wet paint is reflective.
When it is dry, I will scan it, and then, as always, I will tell you it looks better in person.
The Great Western Divide, oil on wrapped canvas, 6×12″, $125.
1 Comment
I would image it’s hard to recreate a scene that is not visible as a whole; thus, the requirement of a composite.
By the way, I sent you a photo taken recently of the G.W.D. from an angle way high up!
P.S. You didn’t “fake” the hills. It’s called “artistic license” and you certainly are qualified to take advantage of said license!
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