$575

Cynthia Dearing

Exhibition: Waterworks Exhibition 2024 Entry Form

Painting Width: 15

Painting Height: 11

Medium: Watercolor

Sperry Chalet is a treasured landmark in Glacier National Park, a place I have hiked and backpacked into multiple times. It is located in a glacial cirque and only accessible by hiking or horseback. It was built in 1913 but in 2017 it was consumed in a raging wildfire. I was in the campground at Sperry just days before the fire started. The only part of the chalet that was left standing after the fire were the stone walls. It was rebuilt and back in service by 2020. I have painted the chalet once before from a reference photo I took prior to the fire. This painting is from a reference I took after the fire and after the chalet was rebuilt. Some of the trees that were left standing are green on one side and brown-ish on the side facing the chalet. There are forests of burned trees in the distance but I chose to only hint at the tragedy and instead focus on the beauty and majesty of the building and its surroundings.