Adirondacks Backpacking
This fall, I had the pleasure of backpacking for several days in the Adirondacks with my husband, my brother, and his spouse.
Journey into the Wilderness
The Adirondacks are VAST. It is a mixture of public and private lands totaling about 6 million acres. It is the largest protected area in the contiguous United States, surpassing even Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon. The New York State Constitution actually contains protections for the Adirondacks. I try to do some backpacking there at least once a year.
The park can exceed 10 million visitors a year. As my goal is usually to experience quiet and solitude I tend to hunt down the less frequented corners. The scenery is still stunning and the connection I feel to the land is beautiful. This trip was absolutely packed with inspiration!
Adirondack Beauty
Plein Air Painting & Sketching
Right before this trip, I began experimenting with gouache in my sketchbooks. To push myself further with this medium I decided to only bring a tan-toned sketchbook with me. Watercolors don’t work very well on tan paper. This forced me to rely on the gouache more while painting since I needed the paint to be opaque on the tan surface. Overall I enjoyed this experience even though It took me longer to complete sketches with the gouache than watercolor. This could be because I’m less experienced with this medium.
The ability gouache gives you to layer colors allows you to apply lighter colors over dark. This is how I prefer to work and the method I use when painting with soft pastels. The gouache also dries to a beautiful matte chalky finish reminiscent of soft pastels (my true love). On the other hand, when using watercolor you need to preserve your light areas and can’t put light paint over dark. I’m looking forward to more exploration with this painting medium!
I was also pleased with the aesthetic of simple graphite sketches on the tan paper. Furthermore, the tan paper reduced the eye strain that bright white paper can cause in sunny conditions.
Finished Works
Upon returning home from this trip I felt thoroughly inspired. I have already produced two finished paintings inspired by the lake. The first of which immediately went to a small local gallery.
Another trip in the books and another refill to the creativity well.
