1989

20 x 30"

From a camping trip in my sophomore year in college. We hiked out of Onion Valley trailhead and camped in the snow above Heart Lake. After the sun set, we were left with a waxing crescent moon in the constellation of Gemini, over the Sierra crest to the west of the lake.

I set up my camera on a tripod and took a series of long time exposures, finally stopping after all of the twilight had left the sky and I started getting too cold.

I painted a smaller version of this in 1986, as a wedding gift for my brother Joseph. In that version, I omitted the trails, putting in only the stars and moon as simple points. When I painted this version in 1989, I put the trails back in, as I liked the way they worked in the composition.

From a private collection

Giclees available: image sizes are 17 x 25 1/2" (85%) & 10 x 15" (50%)