Sketches from the Park: Expedition Everest

From time to time I will be doing some Plein Air painting (from the field), from a new, inspiring location in the Disney Parks. I will share my sketches and experiences here on the blog each time. Today, I continue my Sketches from the park series with an early morning at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

The sun starting to come up behind Expedition Everest in the distance really catches my eye this particular morning and I snapped this photo with my phone. I start to setup my easel in this spot across the water to paint the mountain.

I am painting with Oils this morning and do a quick sketch directly with the paint to figure out composition on the canvas. I am trying to keep it quick and loose and get my impression of the mountain down in order to start blocking in some colors next. As I start to mix some colors, I hear the early morning sounds of the gibbons waking up and starting to call out in the distance, I really do feel like I’m painting in the wild this morning.

After my initial sketch, I lay in some color and it really starts to come to life and feel like Expedition Everest. After about an hour and half I have a plein-air oil sketch of the Forbidden Mountain and feel like I have started my day off right. Then I head into the office full of inspiration of the sights and sounds I have experienced that morning and I am ready for another day .

I hope you enjoy the art and keep your eye on the Disney Parks Blog for my next post from a new location in our Sketches from the park series. See ya next time!