Emerald Blue

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I hiked down with all my gear to the north side of Emerald Bay not knowing exactly what I'd find from lake level. Driving by over the years this spot had a certain kind of magic and I've always wanted to paint here. It was a bit of a hike on a paved trail and my pack didn't seem too heavy. When it finally started to get heavy I came across a friend, John Deckert who was on his way up after painting a couple great, color sketches. At the bottom I found Vikingsholm Castle which is quite picturesque. I decided to hike around the north side of the island to try and get a better angle and to get closer to the island. After checking out a dozen potential spots to set up my easel I decided to paint this angle. The light was really interesting and I started to feel the magic of the place. The scene was flooded with blue and I tried to capture it. A couple times I almost scraped off the canvas as I was having a hard time capturing the atmosphere. I was pleased with the final results. Then there was the hike back. Almost immediately I was wondering how I would make it up the slope with all my gear. That was a hard hike back up but I had a delicious sandwich waiting for me that kept me going.

To see more of my North Tahoe Plein Air paintings and other landscapes please visit my web site; Alfredo Tofanelli Fine Art.