Final day in Bishop

Our last full day of painting in Bishop found us alongside a country road outside of town.  The mountains in the distance were beautiful with snow still on top.  Ruth Andre (ruthandre.com) and I set up and painted these trees to start the day...

Outside Bishop  Oil on 12" x 16" canvas panel

 It was a simply gorgeous summer day...yes, it was hot, but it was SUMMER!  After the long drawn out winter/spring this year, it was glorious.  Immediately in front of this scene between the easel and the trees an irrigation canal flowed.  Just a few feet away, at the source, it was much wider and partly concrete lined.  About noon or so two bicyclists came by, stopped and hopped into the cold clear water.  It looked wonderful!  And it reminded me so much of growing up in Fresno and swimming in the canals in the summer...and sometimes even the San Joaquin River.  Wow those were wonderful days.  I think this painting was the most successful of my Bishop trip.  Perhaps listening to the swimmers in the cold clear water as I painted had something to do with it!

Eastern Slope   Oil on 12" x 16" canvas panel

After lunch, I set up under some nearby trees and tried to paint the distant mountains.  I didn't catch the intensity of the high desert light in this picture, but overall I was pleased with it.  It's the kind of "pure" landscape that I always have such trouble with, so I felt that it was not too bad with that in mind. 



We did paint one more morning before heading home around noon, but my painting wasn't successful at all.  The real highlight of the last day was watching the local kids come down to swim in the Mill Pond and to use the rope swing tied to one of the big trees overhanging the pond.  Growing up in a small town definitely has its compensations.  With that it was goodbye to Bishop and my artist friends until next time.