#488 • Roaming the Hills and Valleys

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http://www.claudiadiller.com/blog.htm

I took a day off and rode over to Sunday Rive Ski Resort - hadn't been there in over a decade. Wow - the expansion is amazing. But more amazing were the views that expansion opened up.

There's a lot of debate about ski areas these days - are they good for the environment or not. I come down on the side of good for a variety of reasons. The town I live in - Kingfield, would not be much of anything without Sugarloaf up the road in terms of commerce and employment.

But the biggest plus is that ski areas get people up in to the mountains and valleys. Folks get to see the incredible landscape that we live in. You feel a strong pull to preserve those forests, hills, mountains, stream and lakes.

In the meantime, force myself to do these landscapes. I would never presume to have the talent to capture the beauty out there - I'll leave that to the pros. But here's a sketch of one of those scenes I saw at Sunday River.

Roaming the Hills and Valleys • 8" x 8" acrylice framed to 12" x 12" • $275

#487 • Ancient Autumn Leaf Changing Stories

 

Click here to purchase this painting #487
http://www.claudiadiller.com/blog.htm

The leaves are just beginning to change around here. It would be a very sad time of year for me, but as if to ease the pain of summer's passing, Mother Nature gives us a period of adjustment with a stunning color show out there. It's a real distraction and has become a favorite time of year for me. I forget jump full on in to the drama of it.

I can't imagine what humans thought was going on out there when this happened every year eons ago. What story did they put to it? The science is fascinating, but stories are always more fun. Here are a couple:

https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/autumn-color/

https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/why-leaves-change-color#

Ancient Autumn Leaf Changing Stories • 8" x 8" acrylic framed to 12" x 12" • $275