Kate Withers - 'Painting Space'

8x10     oil on canvas panel     SOLD This plein-air oil painting is from a dayhike into a lesser-known area of Great Basin National Park.. one of the most remote regions of the West. Mining was a large part of the old economy before the turn of the century.. and this road was made and used by those long gone gold miners. Just up the road is a dugout.. not the baseball kind.. but a dwelling built into the hillside as shelter from the cold bitter winds of Nevada. But on this bright June day.. the past melted into the present.. perfect.

8x10     oil on canvas panel     SOLD The beginning of a new series of highway/road oil paintings gleaned from my extensive travels.. based on one of the hundreds of road photos in my collection. The title of this piece is from a famous book detailing impressions of the less-travelled regions of the U.S.. written by William Least Heat-Moon. And the asphalt really is blue in the mid-day sun. I love the open highways in the Outback regions of the West.. no traffic.. just light and space.. plenty of time to soak-in the countryside.. cruising .. the good life.

4x4     oil on canvas     nfs Another view of the famed Wheeler Peak ... first to receive the morning light. I felt duty-bound to paint at least a couple studies of one of Great Basin's landmarks. Right now.. I am focused on completing two road pieces.. stark asphalt and clouds. Back to the easel.. these will be posted soon.

4x4      oil on canvas      nfs Here is the first piece of a popular vista here at Great Basin NP... a view of Wheeler Peak Basin featuring the highest mountain in the area.. Wheeler Peak.. over 13,000'. The trail to the top is all high elevation... t starts at 10,000' from a little parking area along the drive to the end-of-the-road Wheeler campground. Once known for it's glacier.. now there is just a smidgeon of snow. The creeks formed by the melting glacier and seasonal snowpack provides a lush well-watered oasis in the dry high desert of Nevada. Better come visit before it becomes a shadow of it's former self. The mountain mahogany [usually just a large bush] are tree sized here.. and the mormon tea [usually just a small shrub] are the largest I have ever seen.. mammoth. The feeling here is like witnessing the remnants of an once-lush bygone era.. still strong and magnificent.

A few photos of our new environs in Great Basin National Park...  will post better images of this beautiful Park in the near future.. but for now.. a taste of this high elevation desert camp. .. of the fishing creeks behind camp.. lots of water here.. unusual for Nevada .. my temporary painting studio this summer... one of our smaller canvas wall tents.. will be laying out the oils very soon! .. the early morning view of one of the roads from our front door.. huge ponderosas with a dusting of snow ... 7600'

Just a quick note to let everyone know we made it to Great Basin National Park. middle of nowhere Nevada. SpaceCamp is located 7800' above sea-level next to a fast trout stream fed by glaciers. Hopefully my tent studio will be set up soon.. plus I also plan to paint on location.. small 5x7 and 8x10 color studies focusing on the beautiful shrubs and trees.. especially the awe-inspiring bristlecone pines. I will post photos of this park in the next few weeks.. have just started to explore our new home. Since this blog is mainly about my paintings.. here is a study of a young chamisa I did last fall. These beauties are found throughout the West and are one of my favorite plants.

If you drive up to Scotty's Castle on the far northern edge of Death Valley NP.. and then take the rocky Big Pine road that heads north from there. you will find yourself in a spectacular open desert that still exists in this country.  Most of Arizona is now well trampled.. and Utah is getting overrun even in the backcountry. But for desert lovers.. this region where the northern Mojave meets the southern Great Basin deserts is still relatively untraveled. You might see one other driver on this long rocky road [but you better have a full tank of gas and a couple gallons of water minimum]. This oil study is from an adventure in that territory...                                           6X6        oil on canvas       SOLD