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Earlier this spring, I noticed a Facebook post from a good painting buddy who had just completed an oil painting of a waterfall. Intrigued, I asked where the stream was, and in response I received an enthusiastic, “Let’s go!” This was right after several days of hard rain. Accessible or too muddy?  Too far to hike? Do I have time today? Of course, we decided to go.

 

Our destination was Cataract Falls, within Mt. Tamalpais watershed in Marin County. The hike was fairly short, though quite steep up and down numerous tall stone steps, especially while wearing my overloaded backpack and, carrying by hand, my pastel box and easel. I once again vowed to pare down my plein air supplies! Next time!

 

Once at the falls we took a number of photos, checked out various painting sites, and hiked a bit further up the trail to see if there might be even better vantage points.

 

I saw very little even ground on which to set up an easel, everything being wooded, steeply sloped, rocky and slippery. In addition to that, the rain-swollen cascade was pounding down the canyon at me, the sound deafening with the roar of falling water. Absolutely spectacular and overwhelming!

 

Once I’d set up my easel in a tight cubby, branches on my shoulder, sanded paper and pastels at the ready, I found myself shaking and dizzy. I was so excited by what was before me, and my legs felt like jelly from the up-and-down hike. There was no way I could proceed without doing brief grounding exercises just to calm down enough to steady my hand and start making the myriad decisions necessary.

 

Blissfully, I was lost in the process in minutes and within an hour or so came up with an almost abstract painting that expresses some of the drama and chaos of the setting.

 

Cataract Falls, pastel, 12 x 9

 

So exhilarated by this excursion, we were back at it again within days. This time our destination was another series of Marin County waterfalls, Carson Falls.

 

The hike took us a mile or so up rocky open slopes, then way down into woods, a switchback trail finally ending at some wonderful cascades. How to paint with so many branches in the way? Luckily, not everything had leafed out yet, and I did a lot of figurative pruning and imagined a clear view of the cascade. This time sun was streaming across the view in front of us, so there were dramatic shadows across the rocks and brilliant highlights on the falling water. 

 

I’ve never been disappointed by what I’ve found to paint at the end of a strenuous hike. That’s why I simply have to trust my friends when they say they know a great place to paint, though the trip there might be a bit rough.

 

Carson Falls, pastel, 16 x 7