The Grand Tetons

This high country is amazing!  The Grand Teton area is verdant, lush, cascading waterfalls, inspirational overlooks, clear/deep glacial lakes...  We saw moose, bison, coyote, and other small critters.  The Grand Teton mountains tower above the high plains of Wyoming as they scrape the sky and scatter the suns evening rays.  Snow still clings to the rocky peaks, melting but not disappearing.  I found this trip generous for ideas for future drawings and paintings.  Here is a sampling of some of my favorite images:

Cascade Canyon

Holly Lake

Near the Snake River

String Lake

Cascade Canyon

Grand Canyon South Rim Visit

I traveled with my wife up to the Grand Canyon in mid May to first and formost visit the collections archive.  I am researching Thomas Moran's artwork of the Grand Canyon and had arranged to see an original painting and reproductions of his sketches at the archive.  Since we were up here, might as well make a weekend out of it.  We tent camped at Mather Campground and took the bus to Yavapai Point, following the Rim Trail westward.  I am familiar with this portion of the Grand Canyon but I am always amazed at the rude behaviors of other tourists, most of whom I assume are from Europe.  These people walk in a mass, hogging the entire trail.  The Rim Trail is paved and handicap accessible but the bulldozer tourists wouldn't give a wheelchair room to pass by.  With this in mind, I yearned for a quiet view of the Grand Canyon.  For sunset, my wife and I hiked to Shoshone Point, one mile each way.  The short hike was well worth it, we practically had the Grand Canyon all to ourselves.  Here at Shoshone Point, we had seclusion and waited for the setting sun to play with colors on the Canyon walls.  We were rewarded with pinks, lavenders, blues, oranges, ochre, soft blue, and many colors in between.  The next day we drove to Desert View, scrambling up the stairs of Desert Tower.  This historic building was designed by Mary Colter and constructed in 1932.  Here is a view looking up at paintings on the ceiling.  Colter designed buildings to blend with the surroundings.  I always find inspiration at the Grand Canyon, experiencing exciting views.  I never tire of the place and will continue attempting to portray my impressions of the place. 

Clear Creek

A hot Sunday afternoon means a trip to Clear Creek. My wife, myself, and some of my family drove from Prescott to the Verde Valley to visit one of our favorite swimming holes at Clear Creek. The hole is a short hike from the Bull Pen. Bull Pen is about four miles from on a washboard/rocky road from highway 260 just out of Camp Verde. This swimming hole is rimmed by ferns from a dripping spring from the cliffs above. The kids (and myself) enjoy jumping off a rock ledge into the seven foot deep pool. This pool is long and shaded bringing a refreshing cool to a hot day. I usually take photos without people in it but this day was all about the kids having a gool 'ol time, so many of my photos have my nieces and nephews frolicking in the clear waters. Clear Creek is a real gem; featuring a gallery of cottonwood and sycamore trees. The only disappointments are from were a smattering of litter and biting flies that left a few big welts on my allergic prone skin.

"Autumn's Glory"

"Autumn's Glory" 24x30 acrylic


This is based from a photograph taken near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was October, fall colors were at their peak. During the late afternoon and as the sun lowered, it filtered through the trees, creating dramatic shadows and highlighting the grass. A deer is staring back at the viewer, ready to leap into hiding. This deer was not in this exact scene but was encountered in this same area, startled by us hikers. I have began using Golden Open acrylics, they give more working time than most acrylics but dry quicker than oils. I enjoyed getting back into using acrylics re-discovering the effects of using washes and layering color.

"Aspen Spires"

"Aspen Spires" 20x16 oil

I feel the Aspens are most glorious during the Autumn months, especially near and on the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, AZ. Looking up to the peaks from Hart Prairie, two Aspen trees tower above everything else. I enjoyed creating vibrancy with complimentary colors in this piece: yellow and purple. I look forward every year to visiting the Aspens in October!

"Journey to West Fork"

18x24 oil

This painting was inspired from West Fork, one of my favorite places to hike. This particular location was unique to me for the calm waters on the right and the dramatic waterfall on the left. Also, the contrast of the red cliff versus the dark shadows of the trees helped create this dynamic scene. I am using a new technique for creating blacks without actually using black paint and I have found I am able to tie in my color pallette in these blacks easily and successfully. It is exciting!

"Juniper"

16x20 oil painting

This is the same juniper tree I recently created a pencil drawing of, but a different view. The roots intriqued me and seemed to be very imaginative. In this painting, I really applied the paint heavily to make the tree appear how it does in real life with it's alligator bark. It was a joy to create this painting because of the movement and strong tree trunk gave me a sense of majesty. Enjoy!