8
Estes Park Plein Air Festival 2009
I just got back from the Estes Park Plein Air Festival. It is definitely one of the hilights of my year of painting not particularly due to the fact that sales at the show are HORRIBLE, but due to the fact that the area is SO very paintable. The show is put on by the Cultural Arts Center and Earthwood Gallery there in Estes Park, CO. It’s very well organized and there is something to attend or paint nearly every day. They have a packet of artist’s parties, discounts and the ever popular Poppy’s $10.00 gift certificate. I show with Ron and Anne at the Earthwood Gallery right there on the main street, Elkhorn (aptly misnamed due to the fact that elk do not have horns) about four businesses down from the light on the Norht side of the street.
My favorite thing, obviously, is painting in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sure we have some spectacular settings right here in Salida, but the park is really a concentrated area of some of the most beautiful and geologically new mountains in our state. There are countless alpine lakes, streams, waterfalls, cascades, aspen groves, and meadows that make you think you’re watching a Discover Channel Special due to the incredible Elk herds wandering about.
The paintings below are in order with a little blurb about each. Some are accompanied by other pictures that I took that day. Please comment below if you have anything to add.
This painting was the very first painting I did Monday morning after arriving late on Sunday afternoon and luckily finding an available campspot in Morraine Park Campground. This painting was started about 7:15 am on a windy morning at Dream Lake. I had to walk around the lake for a bit to find a spot that would at least partially protect me and my painting from the windy conditions. Later on that morning Mike Bagdonas (a phenomenal painter from Placerville, CA) found his way to the lake and knocked out a study from a rocky bank down a bit from me. I ended up taking an Award of Merit for this piece which came with a hundred dollar gift cert for Mannys of Denver Frames!! I’ll use them up despite the fact that our own Salida Frame Company makes better ones!!
This fish “kicked it” with me while I painted the painting above at Dream Lake.
Right after the wind nearly blew my painting kit in to the lake I reluctantly decided to brave another even higher alpine lake, Lake Haiyaha. From Dream Lake it’s another mile up the trail and probably 700-1000 feet higher in elevation. Lake Haiyaha is a beautiful lake that looks like it filled up a talus pile. I think it’s a very difficult lake to find a spot to paint due to the house sized boulders that surround its banks, but I knew of a rock climbers trail that winds through some large boulders to a bank on the East side. That’s where I painted THIS:
The next day I met up with Susie Hyer and Nicholas Reti, both extraordinary Colorado plein air painters. We met up in Morraine Park and knocked out some paintings of the meadow. The Big Thompson river meanders its way through like a sparkly ribbon and is an angler’s dream. I met one such angler named Tom, who seemed to be in good spirits even though he had just snagged a tree-trout.
That evening, a bunch of artists all gathered in downtown Estes Park, CO and painted a nocturn painting. That is 
always a hoot and a hollar, though usually the hollars come from idiot bar flies wandering the streets. I ended up painting a street scene which included the verticle lights of the historic theatre there in Estes Park. Susie Hyer tried to copy me and painted a similar scene, Just Kidding, Susie!! I actually set up my easel behind her and interestingly enough we ended up with very similar compositions!
The next day, Wednesday, I hiked up to Mills lake and totally BOMBED my first painting. It was a yuck day with intermitent showers and so I just decided it would be a picture taking day. I hiked from there up to Black lake which was a real treat. 
Thursday was a paint out in downtown Estes which I forwent for more opportunities to paint in the Park. I went out that morning after a brunch at Poppy’s (Thanks Poppy’s) with Jeff Legg. We found a spot along the Fall River near Aspen Glen Campground on the North end of the Park. I ended up painting this Creekside painting with roots and light making its way through.
That afternoon I hiked up to Fern Falls in the Park and found my new favorite waterfall. One starts the hike going up the tranquil Big Thompson river and walking through fallen rocks from enormous cliffs above. Along the trail are countless access points to the river as well as accompanying anglers. Once you get to “The Pool” the trail to the falls takes a sharp incline and you move in to the realm of lush mountain wilderness overgrown with fallen logs, moss, and springs. The fall actually extended way off this canvas, but I love depicting fallen debris at the bottom. It was about 5:00 pm when I finally arrived at this spot so I had to paint very quickly in order to be able to hike out the 3 miles while I still had some daylight.
The next day I had to tweek my paintings a bit as I framed them and entered them in to the show. We had a nice show opening reception on Saturday night with wine and hor-devours. No sales, yet. If interested in a painting you see, please email me at josh@joshuabeen.com
Enjoy.
8 Responses to “Estes Park Plein Air Festival 2009”
Leave a Reply
Joshua,
Nice work for this show. I like your commentary also, wish the shows sales were better, our sales used to be over the top for this show at our old gallery. Things should improve next year……………. If you see George Bodine give him a hug, he’s one of the good guys!
Franklin Crone
Joshua,
Was great to meet the artist of some of my favorite paintings (yours) at the opening reception in Estes Park. They reflect your lively character and depth, great work! I really enjoy your blogs. (was introduced to you by SusieHyer)
Marjie Eakin-Petty
Josh – it was such a pleasure to meet you! Your work is fantastic – we’ve become big fans! Keep in touch – we’ll be watching and following you and your work!
Josh – it was great to meet you in Estes Park! We LOVE your work! Great blog and report of Estes Park – we have to agree, it was a beautiful place to paint! We’re excited to follow you and your work! Take care!
Interesting and informative. But will you write about this one more?
Thank you! You often write very interesting articles. You improved my mood.
Hi Joshua,
Just found your blog, and man!…stunning work!
Very inspirational!
Thanks for sharing your work with us!
Josh, too bad about sales. I think everyone is hurting. I did a paintout in the historic village of St. Genevieve here in Missouri and only three paintings from the whole show sold. I did trade one of mine for a two night stay in a B&B which was nice. I just heard got an art magazine that said you won the Grand Canyon paintout. Congrats, dude!!!