61 THURSDAY, 10 MAY, 1990 Start work at 7:30. Chilly. Painted a cirrus sky and then distant rock formations. Like all superficially simple subjects it proved immensely difficult to paint. Its form so strange & its colour bizarre that I found it almost impossible to make sense of it. FRIDAY, 11 MAY, 1990 At work finishing the drawing by 7:30, then the sun casts shadows on the rocks so I try to make sense of the bizarre shapes of the landscapes. This is not easy and by 12:00 it looks thoroughly laboured and amateurish. We leave after lunch. To the trailhead by 3:30. Looking forward to a shower and a cold beer in Moab. STEAMBOAT ROCK, COLORADO SATURDAY, 28 APRIL, 2018 The campsite very nice with grass and herds of mule deer happily grazing surrounded by high ochre cliffs and the Green River combining with the Yampa forming a huge oxbow around Steamboat Rock. Walked with Chris upriver for an hour, and spotted a small painting, so rather reluctantly walked back to camp and collected sketchbook and gear and walked back. Started work in bright sun, but after ½ hour this was quickly obliterated by menacing clouds and a thunderstorm. Foolishly I hadn’t thought to bring my rain gear, so I found an overhanging rock and continued to work in the company of a packrat, which bustled about in and out of its nest, evidently rather cross that I was sharing its home rock. SUNDAY, 29 APRIL, 2018 Having seen a photo of Steamboat Rock and the oxbow lake from a high vantage point, I realize that it must have been taken from the cliff which surrounds the camp about 500' above us. After scrambling up an animal track to the mesa top we move cross country until we come to an ideal spot—sheltered from the cold wind by a tree, a flat spot with a precipitous drop—providing a view of the oxbow around Steamboat, the Green & Yampa mingling, and distant, very complex geology. Set up the drawing board and drew for the rest of the afternoon and nearly finished before a strong cold wind and rain stopped me. Not sure what to do—the sky is very threatening but I can’t cart all my gear back to camp so I lay the drawing board over two branches and back in underneath it and brew tea sheltered from the rain. After ½ hour the rain eases and I get out and set up and do a bit and it starts again. I repeat the process three times as it rains and stops and is very windy. By the end of the day, I have managed very little—very frustrating. Finally back at the car where Chris is waiting to take me back to camp. Pheasant breast and wine for supper— absolutely delicious. Chris is an ideal companion, thoughtful and helpful, but perfectly self-sufficient. MONDAY, 30 APRIL, 2018 Up at 6:45 to a chilly overcast and windy day. Climbed/ scrambled the 400’ onto the mesa. I aim for a notch between a peak and a ridge but after 20 minutes and another canyon, finally get sight of the side of Steamboat—I’m entirely on the wrong ridge. Retrace my steps and go further left, then along the drop off until I find my site—board, tube and stool untouched. Set my stuff up and paint a very rudimentary cirrus and virga sky with the board flat and upside down. Not very impressive but it gives something to work against. ...the sky is threatening but I can’t cart all my gear back to camp so I lay the drawing board over two branches and back in underneath it and brew tea sheltered from the rain. —Sunday, 29 April, 2018 TUESDAY, 1 MAY, 2018 Each day my walk to the painting site is quicker as I get more confident on this tree bespattered trackless mesa. Fiddle about with drawing an odd shaped butte for a while and then start to paint the RH face of Steamboat. I have been dreading this a bit—it is a complex thing with distinctive local colour which I can’t ignore. As always, I get bogged down in detail and have to wash yellow ochre over it and then wipe some back out. At camp Chris has erected a tarp and collected firewood. This morning was still, warm and silent whilst I was painting; I felt at peace with the world.
