Up Trail, Down Trail

July 23, 2007 at 2:05 AM

My first piece for the show is an 8 X 10 color pencil of my favorite race trail, on Mount Marathon. I'm so excited to show it to you, before it's even matted and framed. The title refers to the two trails: the "up" trail, which follows the front ridge, and the "down" trail, which descends to the right, down the avalanche chute, and crosses the up trail right at brush line. Anyone familiar with the race will see it right away, which is why I drew it.

She's a respectable adversary. I like her.

From Robert Berentz
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 2:14 AM

The steepness really cries out. Mountains are hard to draw. Good job.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 3:34 AM

Beautiful picture, but I can't imagine racing up and down there. You must be in very good shape.

From Yixi Zhang
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 3:40 AM

Wow, you did that Emily? Nice job! How long did it take you to finish this piece?

From Emily Grossman
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 4:40 AM

Robert, the steepness cries out especially about halfway up, when my quads quit. :)

Yixi, I think I began that one last week. Six days ago? I don't know. It's the most fun I've had drawing in a long long time.

From Yixi Zhang
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 5:12 AM

That's awesome and very professional!

“Paint that picture again, man!” -- like these guys in the audience would yell after you played a nice piece;D

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 5:32 AM

You run up that? I don't want to see a pic of the mountain; I want to see a pic of those legs :)

From Emily Grossman
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 6:38 AM

...all scarred and bruised and burly? They have entertaining stories, that's about all.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 1:12 PM

Very nice! How high is the mountain?

From Emily Grossman
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 3:15 PM

Only 3022 ft, but it's sitting at sea level.

From Albert Justice
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 6:42 PM

First Hilary Hahn makes me consider selling my violin and now Emily has me selling my colored pencils. Dang.

From Tom Holzman
Posted on July 23, 2007 at 7:11 PM

Wow! You are awesome.

From Neil Cameron
Posted on July 24, 2007 at 12:50 AM

Damn, talented and,if you can run up and down that, a butt you could crack walnuts on!! George is a lucky dude. :)

Neil

From Amie Johnson
Posted on July 24, 2007 at 2:57 AM

Wow thats wonderful! Did you have art lessons?

From Emily Grossman
Posted on July 24, 2007 at 3:53 AM

Neil, you are too kind. Baking and running cancel each other out. And actually no, it's not really running when you go up. It's more like climbing, because you use your hands a bit. You definitely run down, which is really fun on the loose rock, which reminds me of the pea gravel on the school playground, only larger.

Amie, I took an art class once in high school, but I had to figure out the color pencil thing on my own. I like color pencil in particular it because it's challenging, like the violin. The colors can only be blended directly on the paper, and the order in which you layer and how thick you make each layer changes the final effect. Every time I draw, I learn a bit more about what works and what doesn't and how I would do it differently next time.

Nice to hear from an Alaskan! Have you been to Seward? Cool town.

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Up Trail, Down Trail

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