Along The Hiking Trail Watercolor Painting

Painting and hiking is Steamboat Springs

I taught a watercolor workshop in Steamboat Springs, Colorado this past weekend, and scenes like this abound in the Yampa and Elk River Valley’s. The wildflowers are everywhere because the mountains have had a lot of rain this summer. Using white paper effectively is a trademark of watercolor painting because we usually don’t use white paint and the white flowers are an example of this. Painting in watercolor is like a chess game where you plan your moves ahead of time. I love the effect where white paper is surrounded by rich colors and they work together to create that wonderful transparency that watercolor is known for.

We painted on ranches and along the Yampa and Elk Rivers, it was wonderful seeing old friends and visiting some of my favorite places. I will post more of the paintings from this workshop soon, so stay tuned.