Rafting the Mighty San Miguel

For the last two days I had my back to the San Miguel River and the mountains above it while I sketched thickets of cottonwood trees. The San Miguel is very shallow in this section and perfect for beginner rafters. Both days I could hear the sounds of children as they floated down the icy river with their families or camps. Today I turned my easel around, moved closer and did my best to capture the beauty of summer and the pleasure people find in it.

This is an -in-the-moment sketch, not a particularly thought through sketch. It is similar to my sketch, Telluride Street, in that it is an attempt to capture the essence of something wonderful in a spontaneous way

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on black paper in a 12 X 12 inch Derwent black sketchbook.