September is a wonderful time of year to visit Pennsylvania. The mountains, trees and rivers are bursting with beauty. Our first stop is the Ohiopyle State Park Day 1 OHIOPYLE STATE PARK  (162 MI. 2 ½ HR. ) from my home in Boyds, MD using 70 w TO 68 w South of Pittsburgh, PA  This is a lovely scenic park noted for many waterfalls such as the Upper Jonathan Run, Sugar Run Falls, Cucumber Falls   Lovely views along the Youghiogheny  River “Yuk”  It is also great for whitewater kayaking. The nice thing is how accessible the river is from both sides. We were there on a Thursday and were so lucky to have the place to ourselves.

This little 8×10 study was made from a comfortable park bench in town of which there are many along the mighty Youghiogheny River. The parking lot was also very close to this spot, making everything so very accessible and many views to chose from. Right across the street are several little cafes serving a wide array of goodies. Carl had the spicy sausage. Coffee, tea and bakery items were on my agenda. Everywhere we looked there were stores serving bicyclist and water enthusiasts and plenty of restrooms. This town is all about the “Yuk” It is a magnificent river that boast a challenging whitewater adventure. But for the painter it is another challenge alltogether. Trying to “tame” the white rapids in paint is indeed a challenge. This is my effort. I worked for about two hours and then we had to go to our reservation to see “Fallingwater” more to come about that trip.

“Chasing the Rapids” (8×10) oil on linen board

It is a continuing challenge to paint on location during the pandemic. Luckily we came at a time that allowed plenty of social distancing and I was very happy to see so many people wearing mask. Stay safe everyone.