62 THURSDAY, 3 MAY, 2018 I got up without much hope or enthusiasm at 6:15. The sky stormy, but some clear sections as the wind seemed to have altered direction. Set off up the cliff— the path sticky and damp. Across the mesa a bit of sunshine caused me to take my jacket off. But by the time I arrived at my site I’d put back on all the clothes I had brought with me. The painting not quite as bad as I remembered—the values all wrong, and the sky needs work but otherwise passable. Spent until tea break making notes in case the rain comes back seriously and I have to bail out. Finished enough by 6:00. Packed everything then, with Chris, we made our final retreat from the mesa. Arriving hot and sweaty at the truck, Chris suggested we go and get the beer that Ranger Doug had offered. An excellent suggestion. Ranger Doug, just eating a burger when we arrived, offered to cook us one. We eagerly accepted and sat in his cozy log cabin chatting. I suppose this trip has proved one thing—that I am still capable of doing the painting/camping process— what it hasn’t proved is whether I still want to! GATES OF LODORE, COLORADO SUNDAY, 23 JUNE, 2019 Looking downstream and sitting on the river’s edge worked really well and my drawing and painting, though slightly clunky, were going ok. At tea break walked up to see the final work on rigging the boats. Met the volunteer ranger who said he was honored to meet me as the Ansel Adams of the watercolour paint box !! Back to work in a cold wind until 6:15 when I joined all the river gang for a very jolly cold supper. Looking around at the enormous preparations, particularly the film crew, which now includes Harlan in a kayak to film from the front, a rowing boat full of equipment with solar panels to recharge batteries, Matt rowing a boat for David, Kyle and Sam, plus Justin, the sound man, and now the National Monument has decided we must have Ray, the ranger, along with us to check on our behavior. He is bringing his own boat and is not allowed to eat with us!! This must be costing a fortune. All to film one little old bloke with sticky out ears painting ½ finished water- colours, crouching over a drawing board mixing paint in a Tupperware lid. BONKERS! Altogether 21 people, I think. MONDAY, 24 JUNE, 2019 Up at 5:20 hoping to be on site before Sam & Justin but I was thwarted. By the time I had got to the boat ramp to wash, there was Sam filming what David called my “morning cleansing ritual.” Go to the painting site to realize the painting was all wrong— the colour values wrong and the form not right either. Desperately tried to bring it round but failed. TUESDAY, 25 JUNE, 2019 We launched at 11:00 and immediately into a couple of small rapids which woke us up. Then we came to a class 4 rapid which we had to scout. Clarence took over the rowing and it didn’t really feel particularly hazardous. Downriver until 2:30 when we arrived at a scorching hot almost naked sandbar which is to be our camp, thoroughly debilitated and struck numb by the heat, I ate a late lunch, drank tea and then set off to find a subject, which I did at the upstream end of the sandbar. Sam was with me, filming every second. WEDNESDAY, 26 JUNE, 2019 Up just before 5:00 to find Sam squatting to film me unzipping the tent. Rather grumpy I ignored him and went off to wash, which he also filmed. Drank tea and then set off to last evening’s site, which was brilliantly lit by the morning light, but unfortunately from the wrong side. It looks far better in the evening, with the background made more three dimensional by the evening light. Sam accompanied me throughout, and spotted a small black water creature, swimming across the widest part of the river. Also saw a swallowtail butterfly, yellow and black, about 4" across. A shady camp with trees and a lovely stream. We went for a refreshing dip in the stream and then I slogged my way up over broken limestone to find a site, which I only did by the skin of my teeth. Not a good site and I have to adapt it to make it so. Drew for a couple of hours, but didn’t make much impact. Tony Foster painting at Lower Green River Lake, Wyoming, 2022
