A week ago I hiked around Summit Lake, in Hatcher Pass, determined to paint. The weather was not going to stop me! It wasn't raining so I followed the stream down the hill and started sketching the waterfall. The wind started to pick up and it looked like it might rain. Sure enough a few minutes later drops of rain began to appear on my drawing. I told myself that a few drops were not going to deter me but five minutes later I had to give up as a steady drizzle began. I gathered up all of my painting gear and headed back up the hill to a shallow cave I saw on the way down. I was going to paint my first cave painting... the rain was not going to stop me. There was just enough room in the shallow cave for my easal and me. Conveniently the cave was designed so that there was a ledge where I could put my paints and brushes. Perfect! I could paint in the rain and keep my paint and painting dry. The view wasn't the greatest but I soon found something to paint. As I was sketching, the rain came down heavier and a drip formed on the ledge above and to the right of me about a foot away. I started painting while keeping an eye on the drip which was becoming wider. I kept on painting. Then to my dismay the direction of the rain changed. I painted frantically as the little stream of water, from the lip of the cave, steadily moved closer to my pallete. Water soon started to drip onto my pallete and my oil paints started to change consistancy. I kept on painting but now the stream of water from above was falling directly on to my pallette. I kept on painting as the pools of water on my pallete merged together. I was trying to capture a little essence of what I was seeing before it was too late . Now my paints were submerged in water...time to stop. I had not finished the painting but I did take away something from the experience that I am sure will show up in a future painting. Here are some photos of the waterfall, the view from the cave and my unfinished painting.
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