Painting in the Tradition of the Hudson River School

I'm back from Jackson, NH! 10 days of painting landscapes outdoors in the tradition of the Hudson River School (link). I learned so much, made new wonderful friends, and had a blast!

I believe the best way to blog about this workshop is through pictures, so I went ahead and chose a representative sample of the many adventures I had on the workshop and included commentaries. Here goes!

Day 0 - Arrival

Entry to the town of Jackson, NH, is through a one-way covered bridge.
Cars take turns going through it. 

Day 1 - Jackson Falls

Both fellowship and workshop participants paint and sketch on the famous Jackson Falls.

Pizza dinner party at the home of Warren and Leslie Schomaker of the Jackson Historical Society. 

Ridiculously amazing view from the balcony.

Day 2 - Saco River Part I

Learning to paint our first landscape in the Grisaille method (using only two pigments - burnt umber and white).

Day 3 - Ellis River 

Learning to paint using a limited palette of 8 oil colors.

Day 4 - Crawford Notch Part I

Checking out a spot for a painting.

My painting in process

Day 5 - Saco River Part II

Learning to glaze. Turning the Grisaille painting into a colored painting using a glazing method.

My painting instructor's beautiful painting in process.

Day 6 - Lost Pond Part I and the Studio

Sitting on a large flat rock and looking out into a grand view of Mt. Washington

Show-and-tell at my teachers' studio

Day 7 - Free Day

Rode the Cog Rail to the summit of Mt. Washington and lived to tell about it.

View of the Tuckerman Ravine from the top of Mt. Washington

Day 8 - Scenic Pavilion

It was supposed to rain so we stayed under a pavilion with a view of Mt. Chocorua, the Three Sisters, Carter Ledge, etc. It didn't actually rain.

One of my housemates loves to cook. He is vegetarian and makes amazing dinners, including this scrumptious salad. Yes, those are pickled hard-boiled eggs and pickled fiddle-head ferns.

Day 9 - Lost Pond Part II

We got rained out and had to leave the site mid-day.

Day 10 - Crawford Notch Part II

The morning was so chilly I could barely paint. The sun came out in the afternoon and the conditions were much better.

Day 11 - Critique at the Studio

We talked about how to improve our paintings and things we can work on going forward.

My paintings in process:

(I did not include the Lost Pond painting because it's very unfinished and looks terrible.)

Saco River

Ellis River

Crawford Notch

Mt. Chocorua