More Grand Canyon Paintings

I couldn't upload all of the images in one post so here are the rest of the Grand Canyon paintings. Be sure to look at the previous posts to see more paintings of the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon Paintings

Last May, Roger and I joined an eight day rafting adventure down the Grand Canyon. Our main purpose was to satisfy an item on our bucket list, but I also wanted to paint. We joined a plein air painting trip led by Cody De Long, an amazing artist who has received awards for his paintings of the Grand Canyon. I had the opportunity to paint twice a day during the trip so theoretically I should have finished the trip with 12 - 14 paintings. It didn't happen! I found out how difficult it is to complete a painting in around two hours. I was depressed when we ended the trip and I only had one painting that was reasonably good. I felt I had wasted time painting on the river instead of just enjoying the magnificent scenery. Well five months later I have now completed five more paintings. One a month, which at my speed that is just about right. The trip was an amazing experience best summed up by poet Amil Quayle called

"Go There"
Anything you have read about the Grand Canyon is a lie
Language falters and dies before the fact
The experience is inexpressible in words
The Grand Canyon is its own language
Written across space, causality and time
See how puny these words are
Do not believe them
Go there

Greeting Card Art "Water Lilies"

I decided to paint some greeting cards in acrylic earlier this summer. After I got started I couldn't quit and ended up painting a total of 10 original cards that I photographed and also turned the photos into to greeting cards. Each original 5" x 7" painting was painted from photo's I've taken on my travels and are suitable for framing. It was a nice break from oil painting and gave me some idea's for Canvas a la Carte. Who wouldn't enjoy receiving an original piece of art in the form of a greeting card. Available for purchase in Blue Raven this fall.

"School's Out - Summer of '61"

Summer in Alaska is flying by. Gardening, family and company has kept me very busy, however, I'm still finding time to do a little painting. I agreed to do a small oil painting to be used as a door prize at my high school reunion later this month. I'll be celebrating my graduation back in 1961 which makes this one the 5oth. Wow how did I get this old. I've painted a special painting for the door prize which I'm calling "School's Out - Summer of '61". While hiking one summer on Kodiak Island in Alaska I saw this old bus completely overgrown with "elder"berry bushes. It seems like a perfect subject for my high school reunion. 9" x 12" gallery wrap oil.

Cactus and Joshua

Prior to going on the Grand Canyon rafting and painting trip I was able to complete some additional cactus paintings, both are oil on acrylic 5" x 7". I also completed a painting of a Joshua Tree. Joshua's are members of the Yucca family and grow in our community as well as in forests of Joshua's on highway 91. In the spring they have a beautiful cluster of white blooms. I have never seen two Joshua's that are exactly the same in shape or number of branches. As the story goes the Joshua's were named by the Mormon settlers who thought the plant like Joshua of the bible were raising their arms to heaver. They are, to me, one of the most fascinating plants that grow on the desert. They seem almost surreal so I tried to paint it that way. Joshua is an oil 9" x 12".

Springtime on the Desert

Springtime is my favorite time to be on the desert. Everything comes alive almost over night. The desert seems to know it's growing season is limited to a short period before the sun scorches the earth once more. The variety of flowers are as intense as their colors. The flowers of the pepper bush put out a scent to attract the insects so its blossoms will be fertilized. The honey sweetness of it's bloom overwhelms my senses and fills the night air. The flowers I enjoy the most, however, are the members of the cactus family with their neon colors they blind the eye with beauty. I find it hard to resist painting the cactus this time of the year and so I offer these two beauties for your enjoyment. Englemann's Hedgehog 6" x 8" oil and Beaver Tail Prickly-Pear 8" x 6" oil .

Coyote Moon

Here is my offering for the class I teach at Canvas a la Carte tomorrow night. I hope everyone will enjoy doing this whimsical coyote. We hear the Coyotes howling often in Kayenta. When I hear them they always sound so joyful like they just had a long awaited for meal. I think the Coyote in the painting must be well fed as he seems to be smiling. We also see the night sky in this beautiful "dark" community of Kayenta so I added the big dipper.