Submitted by timon on Mon, 08/06/2012 - 13:08
OK – that was a bit crazy.
I’d been itching to go hunt out some whitewater to paint. I’d planned a trip into the Sierra foothills to paint the American River. I was packed to go, but a last minute weather check showed it was going to be almost 100 degrees all week.
I went anyway.
Goes to show just how addictive painting can be.
Good news is that my plan worked. I literally stayed wet all day every day. I just painted standing in the river (being careful not to get washed away). Once the river started rising so quickly I had to make a mad dash to get out of there and climb back up the cliff I had precariously scrambled down. The water flow is controlled by a dam release upstream, and the water was rising as it does each day around 10am to accommodate whitewater rafters.
In the end - no heat exhaustion. I painted dawn to dusk (just breaking for an air-conditioned lunch spot midday), got lost in the painting, and had a great time.
I'll post some paintings from the trip soon ...