Land of big pointy mountains

Where the sun doesn't shine all the time! Trying to avoid the rain I spotted this view, which I have painted before in watercolour, but this time it was almost all grey.  The distant mountains kept dissappearing behind a heavy veil of clouds, and sometimes just a fat sausage of cloud obscured the middle distance.  The painting looked very dark when I got home so I had to liven up the foreground, although on checking my reference photos there were times when the light appeared from nowhere and illuminated parts of the scene.  You can see the ski slopes on the bottom left, carving their route through the trees.  They look very odd denuded of their habitual cloak of snow.
Vallee de la Glière, Pralognan la Vanoise
Oils on linen board
30x30 cms

Old location, new medium

I am very much enjoying painting plein air (outside in the fresh air) in oils with all it's associated problems.

I revisited a favourite location up the mountain and painted it in oils instead of my previous watercolours or pastels. I am going to revisit lots of my favourite haunts and do the same, I just need to rationalise my kit to make it more easily portable, the one thing I can't afford to leave behind is my brolly, the strong mountain sun on the painting panel results in some very dark paintings that require quite a lot of adjustment when I get back home. In my mind that's not quite in the spirit of plein air painting, but is pretty inevitable anyway.

Hameau des Fontanettes
Oils on linen canvas board
30x30cms





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Location:Pralognan la Vanoise, Savoie, France

Summer hamlets - Cholliere

There are a number of hamlets in the mountains that can only be used in the summer months. In the winter they are only accessible on foot, with skis or snow shoes. In the summer they come to life, often rented out to holidaymakers, but still with little or no vehicular access.
Cholliere is one of the closer ones. It is about 20 minutes above the village, a lovely walk up a path alongside the river.
In the winter the river bubbles under the snow and ice, but in the summer it rushes downhill, boosted by the glacial melt water to a pale turquoise, over ochre coloured rocks. That is a painting for another day.
Behind you can see Grande Casse and the Aiguille de Vanoise, and the distinctive mound of Le Moriond.
This time it wasn't too far to carry my painting things. I still need to reduce what I take, but watercolour needs less equipment, so has to be favourite for outings on foot.

Watercolour on Arches paper. Approx 31x23 cms.
My paintings are always for sale. If you are interested email me.

Summer again

After much flitting about we are back in Pralognan, the weather hasn't been as consistent as last year, so I have established a more permanent (than the dining room table) studio upstairs in the attic. The light is good and here is plenty of space, unfortunately the access (via ladder) is a little precarious, but hey ho...

The first of my summer offerings is here, started in the spring from sketches on site and photographs to follow up. The first painting finished in my new studio!
It is the view upstream of the Torrent de la Gliere, with the round dome of Le Moriond behind, from the Pont de Creuset at the hamlet of Fontanettes. I have got some great photos of the same view covered in snow so I'll save that for later.

Acrylic on canvas. 40x40cm

My paintings are always for sale. If you are interested please email me.