Written on the Wind

Our Mt. Washington Adventure

Yes, I'd checked the weather ahead of time, and yes I know Mt. Washington has the worst weather so when it said windy with gusts of 50-70 mph, I was going to be prepared. I'd probably have to paint from inside the car, but the other bit of weather was clear skies. That was what was most important. Timing was also the other factor.

Every season has it's own pallet of colors. Sometimes, when the timing is right and the place has a character all its own, seasons and pallets merge. That's what I wanted from Mount Washington. The colors of Spring are soft and can be missed if you are looking too hard for the greens of Summer. The foliage of the mountains is low lying with a gentle burst of reds and oranges among the green and golden tones as though hinting at what will come in Autumn. The color of Winter, always starts with the white of snow. And what says summers coming better than blue skies and green valleys?


It was all there. From the base of the mountain road the rich greens said winter was truly over. The blue skies and fair weather clouds were beautiful, but this was Mount Washington and it wasn't yet June. It was breezy at the base as well. We started our assent after paying the fee and placing the CD into the car stereo to listen to the history of the auto-road, the warnings about car safety and the nasty ever changing weather. I was still hopeful about being able to paint once we got up to the top. But I'm a glass half-full kinda girl. The local weather reports had likewise reported the 50-70 mph gusts on the top, but also the temperatures in the 30's. It was in the 60's below and breezy. As I said I was prepared, gloves hat, and bringing more layers than I could ever put on at once. I had painted outside in the winter at the same temperatures, so I knew I could handle the temperature.

Along the way we pulled off where we could and I took pictures. Each time the views became more spectacular and the wind got a bit stronger. The trees were twisted and bent. Only the beginning buds of Spring were on the trees while the valley below was bathed in the green foliage that had already taken hold. The peaks of the Presidential Range and beyond went on forever, with the sky, clouds, and mountain tops, all becoming one.

The forth pull out was my favorite. By this time we were getting a very clear idea of what kind of weather was awaiting us on top. Also at this height there were no more trees. Anything that tried to reach skyward was scarred by a constant battle with the wind that left its limbs stunted and leaning leeward. We were in the alpine area with a wide variety of mosses and low growing plants. The colors were beautiful, rich and deep but often overshadowed by massive rocks and stunning vistas. But these were the colors I sought. By themselves, maybe they would be less appealing but place them in the foreground of peaks dotted with patches of snow and you have captured that window when the seasons merge. The rocky foreground was the icing on the cake from a compositional stand point.

By the next pullout it was clear that even painting inside the car was a long shot. The car was rocking under the force of the wind. I was careful not to get too close to the edge of a slope for fear of getting blown over. Getting in and out of the car to take pictures became a two step process. I needed to use two hands to hold the car door open enough to get in and out. Once out of the car Rick would hand me my camera. The same was repeated in reverse to get back in.

The final pullout before the top was a small parking area that was nearly full. Not all these folks were your average tourists however. I noticed a young man standing by his truck in ski gear, boots, pants, polls. Rick reminded me that hikers often use ski polls, yea dear, but not ski boots. As we looked around more closely we were witness to what we'd often heard about but always shuddered to think of the reality. Skiing the ravines. These are rugged folks here. There are no ski lifts, rope toes or ski patrols. The idea is, is you are fit enough to carry your gear to the ravine and walk back up, you're fit to ski it. A rather common sense approach that has worked quite well. There have been fatalities, but they are quite rare. This is truly skiing at your own risk. While it's not for me, and I do think they are out of their minds, I do admire them. The two pictures in this paragraph should help you get the gist of this experience. The first shows the vista, the first large patch of snow heading down the ravine is where the skiers are. The picture is taken from the parking area, so they have to walk to that point. The next picture I took with my telephoto lens. There's a group of skiers in the upper left corner and another one on his way down. While its not something I plan on painting, it definitely added to the adventure of the day.

A short drive to the top from here pretty much confirmed I would not be painting from there. The parking didn't give the best views and merely standing up outside the car was a challenge so I'd take as many pictures as I could and work in my studio. There is so much to paint now, I will be busy for quite some time. Tuckerman's ravine will be one of the first oil paintings. Capturing the light shining on the far end and the shapes of the clouds across the valleys will be the target, to say nothing of the sheer beauty of the place. Stay tuned!

Backwards and Forwards

Two steps forward and three steps back, well maybe. It seems the bad news has just kept coming ever since the ice storm, as though it were an omen of things to come. The effect weather, and mother nature in general has on us can be overwhelming or at least a continuing battle. That has been the case with this winter. Throw in a plummeting economy and we have a complete package. Begging for Spring seems the only certainty, outside of death and taxes and those have already hit.

With the economy taking this downward turn, buying paintings seems to be more of a reach than ever for a lot of people. So, taking a step backward I have returned to web and graphic design. The first step was getting my resume together. Having been away from design on a professional level it seems my software and even my hardware was lacking for current standards. With the updates in place I have done a complete re-design of my web site, adding a section on design. So even though I have gone back to design, I have also moved forward. I am confident I can produce the designs I imagine with the new tools.

Going backwards, what do you charge? Yes, it doesn't end with a switch from painting to freelance design. I still need to figure out what to charge people. It is a little more clear cut however, there is an agreement up front, the number of hours are important and the work begins after the need is presented.

Not to worry, I am anxious to paint as well. I have spent a great deal of time working on my design and technical skills, but time to paint is essential. In fact I even managed to get a few paintings completed before my turn to the technical. One of the paintings though, will not be for sale. The painting of Mike and Carl is mine. Yea, like that little kid "M I N E". It was from a photo I had taken of the two of them during one summer trip to their favorite swimming pond. It seems like it could be any two boys on a country summer day, but its Mike and Carl and its mine. So even though the painting is new, it's of a time and place gone by.

Along this little trip of back and forth, I signed up on Facebook as a marketing tool. There were some surprises when I started looking for "friends". I plugged in my high school and year of graduation and there they were, Sue and Debbie, Maura, Eileen and Judy. Touching base with each of them was a delightful step back. A bunch more folks were there too, some I hadn't spoken with since Freshman year of high school. A few steps back is sometimes a wonderful place. A firm footing that seems hard to get in such an icy winter.

Winter is almost gone, Spring is around the corner, the days are longer and maybe things are going to brighten all around.