Alright, so I decided to give this Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis scene a go with my watercolors. You know how it is, you see a picture or a place, and you think, “Yeah, I can paint that.” Famous last words sometimes, right?
Getting Started
First things first, I dug out my usual supplies. No fancy stuff here. My well-loved brushes, some paper that’s probably seen a bit too much humidity, and my trusty watercolor palette. I find that sometimes, the less complicated the setup, the more you can just get on with it. I spread everything out on my table, which, let’s be honest, is usually a chaotic mess of past projects anyway.
I had this image in my head, or maybe it was a photo I glanced at a while back. Jackson Hole, it’s got that big sky, those imposing mountains. The golf course and tennis courts, they’re just these little man-made things nestled in all that nature. Capturing that scale, that was going to be the tricky bit, I reckoned.
The Process, The Mess, The Fun
So, I started with a very light sketch. Just outlines, really. Didn’t want to get bogged down in details too early. Then came the first washes. The sky. Always start with the sky, or at least that’s what I tell myself. Tried to get those soft, airy blues and whites. Watercolor is a funny beast; you lay it down, and it does its own thing. Had a bit of a bloom here and there, but hey, that’s just character, right?
Then I moved onto the mountains. Those Teton peaks, they’re iconic. Tried to get the jagged edges, the shadows. Layering the blues and purples to give them some depth. This part took a while. Lots of letting things dry, then going back in. Patience isn’t always my strong suit, but with watercolors, you don’t have much choice.
The Green Bits and Fiddly Details
Next up, the golf course and the tennis courts. Getting those greens right for the fairways and the different tones for the courts, that was a challenge. You want it to look manicured but still part of the wilder landscape. I used smaller brushes for this, trying to suggest the shapes rather than paint every single blade of grass or net post. That would drive anyone crazy.
- Mixed a bunch of greens. Some bright, some a bit more muted.
- Tried to get the perspective right, so it looked like it was stretching out.
- A few dabs for trees and shrubs around the area.
There were a few moments where I thought I’d overworked an area. You know, it gets muddy. Had to step away, let it dry completely, and then see if I could rescue it with a bit of lifting or another light glaze. It’s all a bit of a dance, this painting stuff.
Why This Scene, Though?
You might wonder why I picked this particular view. It’s not just about the technical challenge. I remember being in a place like Jackson Hole a long time ago. Not exactly there, playing golf or tennis, mind you. I’m not much for either, to be honest. But the feeling of being somewhere with such grand, open nature, with these little pockets of human activity tucked into it – that sticks with you.
It’s like, we build our little worlds, our golf courses and tennis courts, right up against something so massive and ancient. And trying to get that contrast, that feeling, onto a piece of paper with some colored water… well, it’s a way to connect with that memory, I guess. It’s not about making a perfect replica. It’s about trying to capture a feeling. And sometimes, the struggle to do that is the whole point. It makes you look closer, think harder.
The End Result
So, after a good few hours, stepping back, squinting a bit, I called it done. Is it a masterpiece? Nah, definitely not. There are bits I’d change, things I’d do differently next time. But it’s got a bit of that Jackson Hole vibe, I think. The colors feel right, the scale is sort of there. And more importantly, I had a good time wrestling with it.
It’s hanging on my wall now. Or, well, propped up on a shelf. A little reminder of an afternoon spent chasing a feeling with a brush and some paint. And that’s what this whole sharing thing is about, isn’t it? The process, the trying, not just the shiny end product. Anyway, that was my Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis watercolor adventure. On to the next one, I suppose!