Big Skies Painting Trip: Yellowstone River

Yellowstone River

12x36

I had to hide from the wind as I painted this piece. I was up on an overlook above the river and the plains beside it, and I was sheltered a little by the hill that continued to rise behind me, but the wind was swirling and blasting and puffing all around me. I was able to use the van to get some relief, but it was still a struggle, and when I got as far as I'd gotten in the P in P below (painting in picture, is what I call these to myself), I realized that the wind had won, and I packed my painting in the van and headed off.

For a while, I thought I might leave the painting like this, with the black sky showing above the river, but I talked to Peter and we ended up agreeing that it was too much black, too much negative space, so I filled in the sky. What do you think? Would you have left it as it is below?

***

The wind was so strong that day that Montana had put flashing signs out on the highway, warning about the wind. It was blowing my van all over the place, and so after miles of fighting it, I gave in and decided to stop early.

I found myself in Livingston, Montana, which charmed me completely. Its historic downtown is full of interesting-looking restaurants and galleries. The buildings have an early 20th-century feel that is comfortable and funky. And there are some great signs left from that era.

Also, Dan Bailey Fly Shop is in Livingston. We've been getting catalogs from this place for decades, and so I was thrilled to see it in person. That's it below, with the great fish sculptures over the door. More on my time in the fly shop tomorrow!

It's hard to see in this photo, but on the hill overlooking Livingston, where many towns have the first letter of their town, or their high school football team outlined in rocks, Livingston has the outline of a trout.

The hotel sign above was one of the cool signs left from an earlier era. And I just loved the name of the cleaning establishment below. Forgive me the crookedness of this and any other crooked photos. My computer system is refusing to straighten certain photos, and though I've tried everything I know to do, including calling Apple, there is no solution.