Platte River Gold

A plein air painting completed in 2-3 sessions at golden hour on the Platte River

I did this painting over 3 sessions on the Platte River near Littleton Colorado. I discovered that this location gets the best golden hour glow, and the way that light amplified the yellow cottonwoods was enchanting. I started this painting with the intention to keep coming back to it until it felt done. The time window was short to work in, but I appreciated the breather between sessions and the daily ritual of coming back to wait for the light show to begin. It’s a great reminder that one place can can tell so many stories, from season-to-season or even minute-by-minute. I watched the story here unfold daily from serene to very alive as the sun came down to meet it, to always end suddenly when it dipped behind the bridge.

Sumacs on the Saddle