New Pastel Landscape 最新粉彩畫作品: Jin Mian Shan Stairway to Heaven “金面山-通往天堂的階梯”系列

Soft pastel on brown Canson MiTeintes paper
61x46cm/18x24"

This one was a long time coming! We've been here almost a year and the largest landscape painting I'd done so far was an A4 (about letter size). Ping has been encouraging me to go back to painting big. I do seem to do best when I just go for it. This one was FUN!

For the story behind the picture, read on.


This picture was from a photo taken as we were hiking in the Jiantan area near Taipei. Ping's research showed there was a whole network of trails in the heavily wooded hills just behind the light rail station. When we got up there, we found out that, indeed, the place was riddled with trails--most of them of the stone pavement variety typical of Taiwan. Ping got directions and trail beta from several people along the way. This is a very popular hiking area since it's right smack dab in the middle of the city and only a few blocks from the light rail and a bunch of bus stops.

One fellow we stopped along the way said it was possible to traverse the entire ridge but it was hard to explain. He thought about it for a second and then said: "I'll show you. Let me take you there." For the next several hours he helped us string together trail after trail, including some hidden--and very rough--user trails that few people would have been able to connect. Ping and he chatted amiably while I played catch-up from behind, taking pictures as we went.

The air was luminous! After one particular gully crossing, Ping and our guide wandered up a winding series of steps. I waited until they were out of sight, and then followed, taking picture after picture of the moss-and-lichen-covered rocks. Somehow I knew there was a painting in there.

After guiding us uphill and down, our impromptu host finally said he was tired and ought to go home. It turns out that this was his first hike in a long time! Lucky for us, he gave us a wonderful tour of the hidden back ways. We had no trouble wandering back down out of the hills to the bus stop and heading home again.

Many thanks to our guide for his generosity with his time! We would not have been at this spot without Ping's willingness to ask questions, and his marvelously Taiwanese willingness to not only explain the way, but to take us there personally.