Sometimes it is hard to find something interesting to paint. I was out looking in my neighborhood yesterday and couldn't figure out what was interesting when I came upon this scene. It had the right elements, design, light and opportunities for color. Those 3 elements are so important in painting.  

The opportunity to paint in areas beyond western Washington comes when it's time for vacation. Wallowa was the destination this fall and I spent a week there painting, enjoying family and friends. The heat was sometimes overwhelming at 95 degrees during the day and cooling to the low 40's at night, and the scenery was spectacular. This scene was painted on the Iwetem-laykin trail, one of the many areas occupied by the Nez Perce nation.