I’ve been working on this painting of an alpine lake scene from the Pacific Crest Trail in the high Sierra mountains of California. This one is loosely based on the area south of Mather Pass. We encountered it on the PCT, but it is also part of the John Muir Trail.
I need to make adjustments to the composition of the foreground with the lake, but the basic colors of the painting are coming together. I’m really into starry skies right now and I plan to make a sky similar to this painting. I’ve painted alpine lakes several times and I enjoy the chance to use really intense colors.
This is where my husband and I camped just below Mather Pass, at just over 11,000 feet, our highest campsite on the trail. This was one of my favorite spots on the trail and I’ve always wanted to paint this amazing place, since the photos really don’t do it justice.
