My New Favorite Place to Paint

Salida, CO is nestled in what has become known as “The Heart of the Rockies.”  It’s a small mountain community in the Collegiate Mountain Range of the Central Rockies, and like many other high altitude communities, it used to be a large mining town.  It lies along the Arkansas River at the mouth of Bighorn Sheep Canyon to the East and is named “Salida” for that reason. Salida translated from Spanish means “Exit” and it really is the only exit from the Upper Arkansas Valley without going over a mountain pass.  Poncha Pass lies to the South; Monarch, Tincup, and Independence to the West; Freemont and Tennessee to the North; and Trout Creek to the East. Naturally, the Arkansas River found the easiest way out…right through the “exit” town. 

Well, I’ve been painting on-location in this valley since I moved here in 2006, but only recently have I stumbled on to the Foose’s Creek area. Just about every drainage in the valley has some lovely watercourse finding its way to the Arkansas River, but few have the personality of Foose’s.  Most of the creeks have pine trees that dot the creeks’ edge, but Foose’s Creek makes its way through a mature aspen grove. Because of this, the shadow patterns cast from their leafless trunks are crisp and defined. The occasional willow makes for nice shape contrast as well, and the creek is substantial enough to flow even in the dead of winter.  The water  peaks through the pillows of snow in unpredictable ways, and where the ice has closed out the surface entirely it helps describe the surface plane of the creek. 

The small painting to the right was done on-location and was of great help in painting the larger one above.  I snowshoed in to the Foose’s Creek area about 1.5 miles to find this composition.  A nice gradual rise in elevation right along the creek will get you in to the area quite easily. The path sees some snow-mobilers, cross country skiers, and plenty of other snow-shoers and is nicely packed.   In fact, one could probably make their way back there pretty far just on foot, but if you want to get off of the beaten path for a closer look at the creek, you’d be post-holing up to your waist!

See the map below if you’re in the area and would like to check it out.

TO SEE THE BLOG POST ON “PAINTING SNOW IN THE FIELD” CLICK HERE