It was a magical three months in Jackson Hole. The country was gorgeous, and inspiration ran deep. Early in our adventure, we took a trip to Teton National Park… there, I captured a moment of Coraline taking in the majestic Tetons.

My Dad loved this picture, so my Mom commissioned a painting of it as a Christmas Gift. This is the first painting I’ve ever done of Coraline.

Here is the entire process captured in time lapse, with a stunning soundtrack courtesy of MH the Verb, featuring Jules. The track, “Coraline”, was written, performed and produced by MH for our little girl.

Always breaking down the essential forms — horizon line, field, and a basic outline of Coraline.

My first order of business — paint the sky gradient. While I always attempt to nail the tones on my first go, this would later require a re-paint.

While the wheat field was mostly yellow, there are hints of green everywhere, so after dissecting the image, a deep green gradient proved an appropriate second layer.

Digging into the mountains, having fun with some subtle complementary color work. If you know Coraline, this shape alone captures her posture to the T.

With the Tetons painted (for the first time), I began to explore the field… I wanted to go light-to-dark, and establish the subtle patterns outlined by Ma’ Nature.

It’s somewhat unusual for yours truly to paint something in detail, like her hair, while the dress remained untouched. For some reason, however, it worked for this piece. The shadow on the field was amplified by some deep purple, to strike a contrast with the wheat.

Once I found myself here… it was close, but I felt a lighter sky and mountains would lend more depth.

And with those modifications, I signed the canvas featuring our beloved Coraline. Thank you Mom for commissioning this picture, and Dad — I hope you love it!

Here are a few photos from our Teton National Park adventure…

As you can see — Coraline was loving the moment.

A family shot in a magical place.

Smooches for Mommy.

Vega slept the entire trip, but we got some bonding time thanks to the carrier. True, I’m a proud Daddy.

And the barn I painted, back in 2014.