"Mt. Catherine and Olallie Meadow" - Snoqualmie Pass High Country.

Among my commercial projects was the ski trail map illustrations used at the Snoqualmie Pass resorts in Washington State.

In the summer of 2004, I was asked to create a new map for the cross-country ski terrain above the downhill slopes. These backcountry trails and slopes that surround Mt. Catherine cannot be seen from the highway and are not known to many skiers. A beautiful new painting of the area was part of the promotion plan.

Painting a skier's map is challenging. It needs to be accurate, functional, and inviting. Good reference photos are needed for the accurate positioning of trees, trails and building locations. Since there were no suitable photos available, I chartered a small plane and shot several high angle photos. Back in the studio it was soon apparent that two separate maps were needed, one view to the southwest detailing Mt. Catherine, and another looking south to Olallie Meadow. These reference photos were taken in late summer with no snow cover, which made the project even more challenging.

Method:

I first made detailed sketches of the area to show the resort managers. After their approval, I painted the terrain in Adobe Photoshop. The snowy mountains, trees, rocks, shadows, roads and buildings were painted on over 100 separate layers.

When the digital paintings were completed, the map printer overlaid the trails with colored lines and type to identify skill levels. Although this clutter takes away from the beauty of the painting, it is necessary for a trail map.

That winter, the director of the ski center asked if I could make prints of the artwork for sale in their gift shop. Good idea, but before doing that, I decided to continue working on the two paintings, adding more detail, lighting effects, and new skies with a soaring eagle. The original version was suitable for the ski trail map, but a fine art print needs to be much more.