Sketching at Kaaterskill Falls

(Click image for a larger, clearer view.)

A few days ago, I hiked up to the base of Kaaterskill Falls with some friends for an hour or so of sketching. I had previously done a multi-layered monoprint across this two page spread in my Stillman & Birn Zeta hardbound book. The little picture area borders were printed at that time (and later embellished with markers), so I used them to make vignettes of scenes at the falls. The first one, on the upper left, is the grand view of Kaaterskill Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in New York State, and appears in many Hudson River School paintings. The little round sketch to its right is a rock study. Rocks give me a wonderful way to examine how value and color change as the form turns toward and away from the light. The third little sketch (the oval) is my friend Athena, who was sitting next to me painting the falls in watercolor. The last tiny sketch is unfinished, because everybody was packing up to go at that point. I tossed all my stuff into my backpack and we hit the trail! These were all done in gouache over the acrylic background.