Sunrise on Rainier with Eagle

The story behind this painting

This is the view from my favorite place: a beach on Lake Washington looking south toward Mount Rainier. A few times a week, I bring a blanket to the flat rocks at the north corner of the shore. I sit there, stare at the mountain, meditate, and practice breathing exercises.

This view inspired me to learn to paint with watercolors. I had filled my journal with ink sketches, but I wanted to capture the luminosity of the sky. Watercolor was how I began to learn.

Bald eagles sometimes fly overhead and catch fish in the water. One day I saw an eagle begin to swoop down and pointed it out. Everyone on the beach watched. When it caught the fish, we all cheered. The eagle turned and gave a cry.

I’ve painted this view dozens of times. This is the last iteration.