Molly Hashimoto

Painting the Geothermal Areas of Yellowstone Park

This unnamed ledge pool in Norris Geyser Basin somehow defies gravity, suspended above the surrounding sinter and trees.

To paint the pool, I used phthalo green, phthalo blue green shade, phthalo blue red shade and a little carbazole violet to indicate the darkest area of the pool.  To show the vapors rising, I wet the area behind and above the pool and painted the trees into the wet paper, employing a flat brush to push the colors out and away from the vapor. Join me in September at Yellowstone National Park to sketch and paint scenes like this one. Visit the Yellowstone Association Institute's website  to learn more. 

Spend a Weekend Painting in the North Cascades

It means not having to go home at night! You sleep on campus at the Environmental Learning Center and wake up to sights like this early morning view. Evenings offer the vision of Pyramid Peak bathed in light, while the rest of the valley is enveloped in darkness.

The stunning classrooms at the Environmental Learning Center have huge windows that look out to the peaks, lake and forest. Students appreciate how they can spread out all their supplies there upon arrival, gleaning the most essential for outdoor excursions.  We keep our base at the classroom, which makes for convenient check ins, critiques, and group-wide skill-building exercises and conversations.

Afternoons around 4 pm we take a break--some students continue working in the classroom, others choose a siesta, and others (pictured here) hike up to the waterfall for more sketching and marvelous views out to Colonial Peak and Diablo Lake.

Read more about the upcoming weekend June 12- 14. Bring a friend or partner and you'll receive Special $50 off  When two people sign up together for any of the three adult seminars taking place at the Learning Center June 12-14 -- watercoloring, drumming and gardening -- the Institute will deduct $50 from the total registration fee. Find a friend or family member and make plans to come to the North Cascades for a fun, engaging learning adventure this summer -- you don't even need to take the same class! Offer ends June 5 and cannot be combined with other specials. Please telephone (360) 856-5700 ext. 309 to register and mention that you wish to take advantage of the $50-off-for-two discount.

Spend a Weekend Painting en Plein Air at the North Cascades Institute

Happiest painting memories are made outdoors! I write here of some of my favorite teaching experiences ever, based at the North Cascades Institute's    Environmental Learning Center on Diablo Lake.  Here is a photo of some members of our group last summer at the foot of the Early Winters Spires at Washington Pass.  Join me next month on June 12-14, 2009 and enjoy gourmet food, comfortable accommodations and spectacular views to paint.  Your tuition helps to support the invaluable work of the Institute--I consider it a privilege to contribute in this way to funding the Institute as its wonderful young staff introduces underserved children to the marvels of nature in the North Cascades.

 Thumbnails are great for warm-ups, and they are an important part of our plein air work. We begin with a watersoluble black pen and then move to compact watercolors.

Once warmed up we spend an hour or two at a time in one location, often using larger pieces of paper. This sketch was done in about an hour on the shore of Diablo Lake just below our classroom at the Learning Center, where there is a fine view of Colonial Peak.

Island in Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park

On April 26, we walked along the shore of Diablo Lake and viewed this small island.

Early morning light made for lower light conditions. The only thing coming into clear focus was the island.  I began this watercolor with an overall wash of blue-gray.  I used phthalo blue red shade, carbazole violet and quinacridone burnt orange.  The trees in the distance were created with phthalo blue red shade and hansa yellow light, plus quinacridone burnt orange. 

For the last year, after studying with the wonderful painter and teacher, Koo Schadler,  I've been experimenting with the centuries-old medium of egg tempera, and this landscape called out to me for an attempt in egg tempera.  I recently discovered a new company producing gesso panels with a smooth finish, True Gesso.  I love the panels--they are using a finely ground marble dust which leaves the hardboard panels smooth to the touch--the best I've seen yet.

This is the first stage of the egg tempera painting.  I sponged in a background--that effort probably took me about two hours to do.  I am using Daniel Smith Dry Pigments mixed with the egg yolk medium.  To create this color, I used Ultramarine Blue, Raw Umber and Titanium White.  Many layers of sponging are required to smooth out the sponge marks, but it's the quickest way to lay on a sky.