Author: Doug Rutherford

The morning sun was coming through my studio window this morning when I was trying to decide what to paint today. Leafing through photos, the sun inspired me to do a morning scene. This is from the beach near Congden Creek, on Kluane Lake.

Morning in the Ruby Range. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1793.

I should start with the fact that I’m not happy with this one, but it is just a preliminary sketch. I’m working on a submission for a poster competition. There is an issue with contrast and my swan needs to be larger, but I do think I have a good start.

Coming home. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1792.

I looked back through my photos from this fall when deciding what to paint this morning. This is the one I came up with.

Poplars. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1791.

This was another possibility for my workshop in Tagish in March. I think this one may be a bit much for participants will minimal experience. I also did it with the idea in mind of doing a larger version in the near future. I do want to get into doing larger works and this might make a nice big painting.

This is from a photo taken several years ago from the base of the Tagish fire tower.

Sunrise, Little Atlin Lake. Watercolour on paper, 8×10 inches.
Painting of the day #1790.

I am looking at potential subjects for an upcoming workshop in Tagish, Yukon, in early March. This is one of the possible projects for the participants.

Sunrise on Windy Arm, Tagish Lake. Watercolour on paper, 8×10 inches.
Painting of the day #1789.

I have a fondness for painting trees. It helps when you live in an area where you couldn’t count them in a single lifetime. I will admit that spruce trees gave me fits in the beginning, and thought I might have to move somewhere north of the treeline.

Morning poplars. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1788.

Montana Mountain is a rather impressive, deeply eroded Late Cretaceous stratovolcano located south of Carcross, Yukon, Canada. Regardless of the time of year, it’s quite a site rising above Windy Arm of Tagish Lake.

There are several great places to view the mountain. My favourite, however, is looking across the Carcross Desert.

Approaching snow, Montana Mountain. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1787.

I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m a sucker for a good barren. Every since I first drove through the White Pass in 1991, I’ve loved the Summit Lake area. Although, I will also admit that there were a few times when it was snowing so hard you couldn’t see a thing.

Summit Lake. Watercolour on paper, 11×14 inches.
Painting of the day #1786.

One of the distinctive landmarks in Whitehorse is Golden Horn Mountain, an extinct Pliocene volcano whose peak marks the southern boundary of the Whitehorse city limits. I’ve often painted Golden Horn in various times of year and times of day. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of its many moods.

Here it is on an early winter morning viewed from the bank of the Yukon River.

Golden Horn Mountain. Watercolour on paper, 8×10 inches.
Painting of the day #1785.

Actually, I did two paintings today; however, one is a commission for a CD cover and is embargoed until May.

Night path. Watercolour on paper, 8×10 inches.
Painting of the day #1784.