Starting to Paint in Yellowstone

Singer and I have been busy exploring and painting...

Beauty in Unusual Places

This was literally a kind of pool of stench and steam complete with dead trees. But, with the setting sun reflecting in clouds on the water, it made for some incredible scenes that reminded me of the Fauvist painters. Enjoy.

Moving on Down the Road

I couldn't seem to leave Yellowstone that evening without finding a few more wonderful scenes to shoot. I found myself pulling over constantly. Good thing the sun was setting or I may never have made it out!

In Another Light

After seeing Old Faithful, I went to a couple of gift shops to purchase ghost stories to share around the campfire...but not before a staff member of a photography store there told me of one of the area's ghost stories.
What a treat! 

I decided to return to Old Faithful for another look around and

was enchanted by the changing sunlight on the surroundings.

Looking into the sun, with Old Faithful to my back.

As I heard the crowd exclaim, "Ahhhhhh!" in unison,

 I turned around in time to see Old Faithful erupt again.

It was an even better show than the first!

Now all that remains is her puffs of smoke.

Shadows of a self portrait with Old Faithful.

I asked this couple if they'd like their picture taken with their camera because

it seemed such a nice moment. They said no, they were waiting for Old Faithful. 

This couple did enjoy taking each other's photos...with or without the dramatics of Old Faithful. They let me take their pictures on their camera and mine. They both seemed to be in touch with their own dramatic flare for color...and life. From India, they spoke mostly in smiles. 

Waiting for Old Faithful

Many days we spend our time impatiently waiting for something to happen to us. The perfect relationship, the long awaited promotion, the glorious career, the family vacation. But often, as the saying goes, life and satisfaction is not in the destination itself, but in the journeying. I contemplated all this while doing the tourist thang, waiting for Old Faithful to blow, every 90 minutes, for just a few seconds.

So I decided to people watch from a distance and take in the crowd which was amassing around the billowing smoke stack. It also gave me ample time to meet people and check out Old Faithful from many different angles. It was a pretty exciting time...especially in the waiting.

People from all over the world lined up around Old Faithful in anticipation.

This cutie-pie was having fun throwing pebbles and making faces at Singer and I.

One of the hot water holes emitting steam...lovely turquoise greens and blues.

These reminded me of David Bowies's Bog of Eternal Stench in Labyrinth.

Thar she blows!

Enjoying Your Own Back Yard

The KOA I'm staying in is surrounded by marvelous snowy mountains, forests and hills, pastures of horses and wildflowers...and an old school house that I never tire of seeing in many different lights.

I've painted under her leaky shade from torrents of rain and photographed her at least a dozen times. Sometimes it's what's in your own back yard that holds the most surprise and delight!

My First Day in Yellowstone

Madison River in Yellowstone National Park

Arriving the night before, June 1st I stepped into Yellowstone from the west entrance of Montana, back into Wyoming. Singer and I didn't get very far into the park before I decided to pull over and paint the marvelous view.

Meet Rusty, a fellow Yellowstone traveler.