Washington in watercolor: On the waterfront in Olympic National Park

By Paul Schmid
Seattle Times artist

PAUL SCHMID / THE SEATTLE TIMES At Ruby Beach and all along Washington's ocean coast, waves pound sea stacks and islets.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Other links Washington in watercolor gallery Sign up for Travel e-mail NWsource: Travel

Painting outdoors in the Pacific Northwest can be a miserable experience, especially if, like me, one has a love for the leaden gray skies and muted hues of our rainy winters.

But during a moment like this, the days of chilled fingers and wet feet are cheerfully forgiven.

Once a month this year I'm exploring our state, trekking from rain forest to badlands, coast to mountains, and putting my impressions in watercolors.

Olympic National Park: 360-565-3131 or nps.gov/olym Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: 360-457-6622 or ocnms.nos.noaa.gov/ Washington state tourism office: 360-725-5052 or experiencewashington.com

This spring day finds me along the Pacific coast within Olympic National Park, painting the play of sun on coarse black sand, surf and sea stacks.

Stretching from the mouth of the Columbia River to Cape Flattery, Washington state has 157 miles of Pacific Ocean coast. Sixty miles of it is protected within Olympic National Park, including some of the last remaining wilderness coastline in the lower 48 states.

It is an area rich in life. In the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which embraces the park coastline plus offshore waters, more than 600 sea stacks and islets provide breeding grounds for birds and marine mammals. Some 29 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises pass through its waters. Some of the largest colonies of seabirds in the United States are found here.

	PAUL SCHMID / THE SEATTLE TIMES The Hole in the Wall rock formation within Olympic National Park, about a mile north of Rialto Beach, makes a nice frame for viewing James Island.

My first day was spent painting at Rialto Beach, 12 miles west of Forks. I wandered a mile up the beach to Hole in the Wall, a cliff face with an opening scoured by centuries of waves.

Next, I made my way south and explored Ruby Beach, barricaded by great racks of beach logs.

It occurred to me, wielding my brush in the warm sunshine, that I was only 20 miles (as the raven flies) from the Hoh Rain Forest, with its moss-shrouded spruce and hemlock giants luxuriating in 12 to 14 feet of rain per year. A truly fascinating state to live in.

Paul Schmid: 206-464-2169 or pschmid@seattletimes.com.

Editor's note: This is the fourth in a yearlong series of watercolors by Seattle Times staff artist Paul Schmid. The artwork, depicting scenes from Washington state, runs the second Sunday of each month in Travel. If you would like a reprint for personal use, contact the Resale Department at 206-464-3113 or resale@seattletimes.com. The images are reproduced on 13-by-19-inch watercolor paper and are suitable for framing. To see these and previous watercolors online, go to seattletimes.com/travel.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More travel/outdoors headlines...