Whitewater Preserve-3rd Painting Day

Tuesday we got up early and arrived at the preserve before 8 a.m. We decided to paint at the wash as the light from the sun was beautiful and crisp anyway you stood. I wanted to paint the distant snow filled mountains. We had a very cold and windy past few days and snow in the higher elevations, so the San Jacinto mountains were freshly covered. These mountains are the picturesque mountains that surround Palm Springs. There is an aerial tramway up to the top of these mountains that you can take on any given day. When visiting the area be sure to do this, it is unbelievable. Dress warm the temperatures can change 30 degrees from what it is in Palm Springs. Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Home

As I painted this scene I really felt the electrical wires and poles added to the composition and decided to put them in for some added interest. The yellow flowers along side the road were in brilliant color and added a nice shadow to take your eye down the road deep into the mountain area. If you look really hard to the right and under the do not copy on the painting you will see a group of windmills. This is the windmill area you see on the side of interstate 10, before arriving in Palm Springs. Wind Energy Windmills - Palm Springs Lots of points of interest in this area. Every place you look is another painting.

My second painting of the morning was a quick study of the wash. It was around noon time when I quickly put together this little 5 x 7. Looking north up the wash and towards the San Gorgonio Mountains and towards the ranger station which is hidden behind the trees on the right. The Whitewater creek runs down and over the road that I painted earlier.

After a morning full of painting, Luz and I decided we needed a break and took off to my favorite restaurant in Palm Springs. Blue Coyote is a wonderful Mexican restaurant and they have the best margaritas in town. We enjoyed our lunch and took our time. We wanted to arrive back in Whitewater to capture the late afternoon light.

This painting was started after 3 p.m. and was completed around 5 p.m. It was interesting how misty the late afternoon view became looking north towards the San Gorgonio mountains as the sun started going behind the huge mountains on the left which make up part of the canyon where the Whitewater Preserve is located. What drew me to this scene was the beautiful light on the palm tree. But as I was painting I realized it was really the only crisp part of the view.

If you go back and look at all 3 paintings, painted in a different time of day, you can certainly see how the color contrast change throughout the day. I love plein air for this reason. Time, temperature, mood and feelings really play a part in how the painting turns out. It was a great day for painting, great food and margaritas. What more can an artist ask for.

These paintings and more will be available in giclee prints and note cards. If you are interested, please email me at shacone@aol.com. Until next time, ENJOY THE ART. Terry d. Chacon