Two Panoramic Grand Canyon Sunsets

These to panoramas were done by stitching photos together. The first is a two image compliation, the second one is from five images. Enjoy!

Sunset from Hopi Point 1/11/13

Sunset from Hopi Point 1/11/13

Winter at the Grand Canyon

My wife Denise and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary by freezing ourselves to ice blocks at the Grand Canyon. The temps were a high of 26 and a low of -6. When the wind blew, it felt every bit that ice cold. We reserved a cute little cabin with the Bright Angel Lodge for two nights, luckily the electric base heaters worked well. We arrived mid afternoon and snowshoed to Shoshone Point. After checking into our cabin, we drove west to Hopi Point for the sunset. It was spectacular! (and really cold) Saturday, we awoke early enough to watch the sunrise. Yep, I was amazed (and frozen). Later, we went for a short hike down Bright Angel Trail, not so windy inside the Canyon. After lunch, we snowshoed to a fire lookout tower east of Grandview Point. What an unusual view, we felt like birds (it was windy up in that tower, so we turned to ice once again). We stopped at Grandview Point on the way back and returned to our cabin to thaw out. We caught the sunset at Yavapai Point, another beautiful sight and very cold. I enjoyed the weekend just fine. The park was quiet and the sights more varied from when I normally visit the Grand Canyon. I picked the following 20 something photos from over 500 images captured. Take a look:

from Yavapai Pt.

Sunset from Yavapai Pt.

early morning

sunset from Hopi Pt.

sunrise

sunset from Hopi Pt.

sunset from Hopi Pt.

from Yavapai Pt.

amazing contrast

from Yavapai Pt.

at the Yavapai Pt. Geological Museum

snowshoeing in the woods

sunset from Yavapai Pt.

a dallop of light

California Condor

at Shoshone Pt.

along the way to Shoshone Pt.

sunset from Yavapai Pt.

from the fire lookout tower

unknown hiker at Bright Angel Trail

from Bright Angel Trl.

view from the fire lookout tower

lookout studio bathed in morning light

on the edge

New paintings to finish off a productive 2012

"Morning Glory II" 9x12 oil, palette knife - This was inspired from a photograph I took during a backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon in early November. I hope to combine a couple more studies on this spot into a larger painting!

"West Fork Cairn" 16x20 oil, palette knife - The fall colors were vibrant and the reflections glowing. The rock cairn caught my eye as a nice foreground element.

"Morning Glory" 9x11 oil, palette knife - A study for a future larger painting.

"Winter Melody" 8x10 oil, palette knife - sold as a comission, part of a series of 4 season paintings

"West Fork Solitude" 16x20 oil, palette knife - An awe inspiring place of sculpted rock and possibilities for peaceful solitude.

Red Rock Craving

Do you ever have a craving for red rock? Well, that's the ailment I had today and the reason for a quick drive over to Sedona for a five mile hike on Soldiers Pass and Brins Mesa Trails. It was a great day to be out, no crowds, sunny... But the wind kept things chilly and dusty. Otherwise, my red rock craving was filled for now. Check it out:

New Oil Paintings

This Fall has been quite busy for me. Traveling, art shows, and backpacking, teaching a night class.... Yet, I have some time left to oil paint. Here are 3 new oils from October and Early November.

 

"Golden Autumn" 24x30 oil, palette knife (above Lockett Meadow, San Francisco Peaks, AZ)

"Boulders and Brambles" 9x12 oil, palette knife, painting on-site at Fain Park in Prescott Valley, a plein air painting

"Autumn's Song" 9x12 oil, palette knife, I started this at the Sedona Arts Festival and finished it in studio in mid October

Christmas Courthouse prints available!

Christmas season is around the corner! These photos are from last years Christmas season in downtown Prescott. I am printing 5x7 images and matting them to fit an 8x10 frame. They will be avlailable at the Frame & I Gallery and Frame Shop, $18 each. Pick your own set of prints at 229 W. Gurley St. Prescott, AZ 86301. www.frameandi.com.  If you are from out of town, email me for information about shipping: russell@russelljohnsonart.com.

Christmas Tree

candle

Thumb Butte

Bucky

Backpacking in the Grand Canyon - Part 3

Early Sunday morning, we awoke to get a start at first light. We started hiking right at 6:30. The Red Canyon Trail, (a.k.a. New Hance Trail), starts in a wash for about 1.5 miles. We encountered a couple difficult rockfalls to scramble up. It veers left out of the wash climbing steadily to the base of the Redwall. The Redwall was short and difficult. Afterwards, we meandered in and out of rock slides and slopes to another wash. The trail was relentless and rugged. We soon approached a saddle where we took a good long break before the last push to the top. There were many sketchy spots where care and caution were needed. Soon, we made it to the rim for a total of 6.5 miles, taking us 6 hours to complete. The trek seemed to have ended abruptly. I always welcome the end but savour the experience, wanting to stay longer. Until next time... thanks again Grand Canyon for another invigorating trip. Enjoy this last selection of photos from our hike up:

low light hiking

first light

I was on this same trail about five years ago, some guys in my group built this big cairn, it's about half as tall now

here you can see to the saddle in the left-center before our last climb to the top

half moon

 

a little hazy from smoke

one of the many rocky scrambles

touches of fall colors

very cool rock tapestry

small beauties

dead juniper

Our fun group!