Blacktail Deer Plateau

Blacktail Deer Plateau – Painting in the Presence of Yellowstone’s Vastness

There’s something about painting en plein air that demands presence. No filters, no undo button—just the land, the light, and your response to it. This piece, Blacktail Deer Plateau, was painted alla prima during a brisk morning on location in Yellowstone National Park.

Set in the northern range of the park, the Blacktail Deer Plateau is a place where the horizon stretches with quiet majesty and the wind carries whispers of elk and raven. The land rolls gently but holds a gravity that feels ancient. I was drawn to this scene for its subtle drama—the cloud cover shifting moment by moment, casting shadows across the hills like a slow-moving play.

Working alla prima (wet-on-wet) forces you to make choices quickly. It’s a method that thrives on decisiveness and intuition. I laid in the broad values early, mapping out the sweep of the plateau and the anchoring clump of evergreens. The sky—half mood, half light—became the dominant character. Capturing its restless energy meant letting go of control and responding with looseness and texture.

The cool violets and muted ochres of the land helped frame the warmth peeking through the cloud breaks. Yellowstone always reminds me that vastness isn’t always loud—it can be subtle, layered, and incredibly quiet.

Painting in Yellowstone isn’t just about recording what’s in front of you. It’s about entering a dialogue with a landscape that has existed long before us and will continue long after. Blacktail Deer Plateau is my humble response to a fleeting hour in that conversation.

Thanks for taking a look.