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For the next 24 hours, this painting is specially priced at $150! 
After 24 hours, it returns to its retail price of $250. 75% of the proceeds will go to a wildfire relief fund.

This painting is 10" x 8". If you would like to purchase this watercolor, click here.

Here is the story behind this little painting. The raven perched on his favorite tree. It's a tree we like to call a bird tree (because it no longer has leaves, just bare branches that the birds love to sit in). The wind ruffled his feathers as he sat facing east, warming himself in the morning sun, totally unaware of the elevation here, which is around 5,500 feet. He sat long enough for us to get some pictures of him before he headed west.

It was day two of our watercolor workshop with watercolor artist Andy Evansen. They decided to bring the sixteen of us up here to the overlook at Washington Pass. I had been here a few times, but I am still awed by the view of Liberty Bell Mountain high above and the big, wide hairpin turn far below. We all found a view we liked and went about setting up tripods and easels all around the viewpoint area. You couldn't go wrong because every view was stunning.

I found a spot one level below the main viewing area. I had a bench and was out of the breeze. It was October and still cold, so we were all bundled up. The object of the game here is to paint fast. Get the big shapes in, paint the middle values all in one go, then come back and quickly add the darks. I always think this sounds so easy, but it is not! You have this grand, sweeping view, and if your peripheral vision is good, you can see maybe 100º to the left and to the right. That's a whole lot of stuff to paint! Eliminating all but what was directly in front of me, I began. The teacher came by reminding me to squint to see all those middle values. (If you have white and you have black, a middle value is the grays that are halfway between black and white.) I was painting as fast as I could before the light changed.

The tourists were out. They hiked around the trails and visited most of us as we painted, chatting and taking pictures. They were delighted! I was painting as fast as I could, trying my best to capture the moss and highlights on the branches of the tree. And then, like a booming voice from God above me, I heard Andy say, "You're not following your value study. Those tree trunks are too dark." Dang it, I was busted. They called out that lunch would be in 30 minutes. I was painting as fast as I could, but I couldn't even pack up all my stuff and get it in my backpack in 30 minutes. If only I had three more hours, I could maybe get something that looks like a raven on a tree with a mountain behind it. Needless to say, I'm not going to show you the painting from that day… it just wasn't good. But lunch was fun.

The very best part of painting up there at this spot on the North Cascades Highway was it made me think of my Dad. He had worked for the Washington State Highway Department and he had helped to build this highway. The whole time I was out there, I was thinking that he had looked at these same mountains every day and driven that very road back and forth. He had enjoyed this view in all kinds of weather, with snow on the mountains and in the sunshine, turning the snow to waterfalls that ran down the mountainside in rivulets. He had seen the larches turn yellow in the fall and he had built that hairpin turn, allowing the great view of those very larches. I am so proud of him, and so glad I got to experience Washington Pass for almost a whole day. It is something I will always treasure, even though I didn't get a painting out of it!

Do you have a place that reminds you of some good times in your childhood or a favorite hike you have taken to a pretty place?  I would love to hear about it.

Is your Halloween candy all ready to go? Tomorrow will be an exciting day for so many kids. Do you still dress up?

Sending you hugs tonight,
Kristi