Skaftafell. Pastel on paper, 23" x 18". (c) 2016 Elizabeth Adams
I've been missing Iceland, so I made a painting. Working on this pastel for the past four or five days has immersed me again in the autumn tundra vegetation and the breathtaking mountains near Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Iceland (and also in Europe), where we were a little more than a year ago. As you can see in that previous post, the glacier is beyond these peaks, hidden by the clouds, but now and then they would part, and we could see it shining, so bright it almost hurt our eyes.
This view was from a hiking trail in the Skaftafell National Park, where we had climbed to see a famous waterfall, and then continued up onto the mountain above it to the west. I was a little reluctant to do this additional climb, and when I think of what I would have missed, it makes me cringe! We only encountered four or five other hikers on this leg of the trek, and we were alone at the top for nearly an hour. This is looking northeast; to the west the view looks down over a vast river-like glacier in the next valley; to the south is the huge black sand glacial outwash plain stretching for miles to the sea.
Here's the sketch that was the underlayer for the painting, which I like too.
I've been feeling word-less lately, so there haven't been many blog posts. But I've been busy in the studio; this is the second large-scale painting in two weeks, and I've been doing a lot of sewing this summer too, and working on two new books for Phoenicia. Lately I've had a little trouble with my back and it's been difficult to play the piano, but I can stand up and play the flute, so I've been practicing my old instrument a bit. And there is all that fabulous late summer produce to eat: we've had beautiful Ontario peaches, Quebec blueberries and strawberries, perfect corn-on-the-cob and tomatoes full of sunlight.
Sometimes it feels better to just make things and not talk too much.
It's still hot here, and I can hardly believe it's almost September. Have you had a good summer? Are you looking forward to fall?