Teton Storm
©2007-2023 Susan Thiele
Location: Wyoming, Teton Canyon Viewpoint
Image Size: 7" x 19"
In the Teton Valley, nearly every resident has a view of the peaks, so I challenged myself to paint this spectacular view anyway during a Plein Air competition held in Driggs, Idaho. On this day, the weather created a somber mood, and rain seemed possible any time. I had to sketch the initial image under an umbrella. A wonderful flash of yellow in the clouds when I arrived had set the mood. When it was time to paint, more rain threatened. I retreated to painting under the hatch-door of the van. When the rain got too heavy and dripped onto my palette, I closed the door and retreated into the van, waiting for the paint layers to dry. I was in and out of the van all day as the cloud layer gradually descended. Eventually you couldn't see anything, so the details of the painting were completed from memory with the aid of an initial photo snapped on my digital camera!
The painting won 3rd place in the Driggs Digs Plein Air Competition in 2013.