tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53524684162807012942024-03-13T01:37:16.189-07:00Earnest Ward: Drawn to LifeThe Art of Traveling with a Sketchbook -- I've been an artist, naturalist, traveler, and adventurer all of my life. I don't always end up where I want to be, but I usually end up where I need to be (and always do a few drawings and paintings along the way.) Want to come along?
Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-90314560479246088342020-11-16T10:11:00.000-08:002020-11-16T10:11:48.336-08:00ZION: A Fall Artist-in-Residence Experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSdi8jqu-k_goBZKcdTrrDk_pisDL_wQmIuEUTsHGCs_MJc42pRWIlxZS-M5cqKGW5YAvQ8l8ZdE4VHKzMzMfosqbozRC8kbbkbQis11F3VQuqqf1ZHLszKkXqu8-wuy3jnZj0I6AEyc/s2885/ZION+-+Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="2885" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSdi8jqu-k_goBZKcdTrrDk_pisDL_wQmIuEUTsHGCs_MJc42pRWIlxZS-M5cqKGW5YAvQ8l8ZdE4VHKzMzMfosqbozRC8kbbkbQis11F3VQuqqf1ZHLszKkXqu8-wuy3jnZj0I6AEyc/w675-h254/ZION+-+Cover.png" width="675" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ZION: A Fall Artist-in-Residence Experience (cover)</span></div><p>The new book has finally been submitted to the printer. (Yea!)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuUg_igduLZufaJLzoMfmO0J1Wc6aQQPO7oyJrjS0AVj43K6NieK5f36aWBohw_9d8bcRKXfqI0VgPqPpT-jbdRU2IxPtlYN9G04jMu6VQ7qLWt3R83rVbqotg7u2kYLgzjCXoe2l6ho/s2885/ZION+-+Pg+14-15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="2885" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeuUg_igduLZufaJLzoMfmO0J1Wc6aQQPO7oyJrjS0AVj43K6NieK5f36aWBohw_9d8bcRKXfqI0VgPqPpT-jbdRU2IxPtlYN9G04jMu6VQ7qLWt3R83rVbqotg7u2kYLgzjCXoe2l6ho/w665-h252/ZION+-+Pg+14-15.png" width="665" /></a></div><p>This is a hardbound, premium-quality, signed, limited edition art book. It measures 8.5"x11" and is intended for anyone who would like to have high resolution reproductions of all of my Zion series paintings in one volume - or for anyone who has wanted to own my artwork but been unable previously to afford an original.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXTsg2vZw4L6n7qGaYrL-a_Nnm8z8wXeCcbIUWVuOa0t8jMspxo_kLUwjQjmobJyuT1i5kHDYFJG9ollqS4g0uHdPVgQAx0taUliT0LoQEKtKWCJ5wt6xG8L6hQK6gSEBSebay1GICxs/s2885/ZION+-+Pg+18-19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="2885" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXTsg2vZw4L6n7qGaYrL-a_Nnm8z8wXeCcbIUWVuOa0t8jMspxo_kLUwjQjmobJyuT1i5kHDYFJG9ollqS4g0uHdPVgQAx0taUliT0LoQEKtKWCJ5wt6xG8L6hQK6gSEBSebay1GICxs/w661-h250/ZION+-+Pg+18-19.png" width="661" /></a></div><p>The volume contains 79 images, with 54 in full color. It also contains a number of black & white compositional studies, and several step-by-step demonstrations of my working process.</p><p>If you'd like to own a copy, email me (artist@earnestward.com) for further details and availability. (It would also make a great holiday gift for special art-lovers and national park enthusiasts!)</p>Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-90938886496062135542020-11-05T06:07:00.000-08:002020-11-05T06:07:08.251-08:00Coming Soon!<p>Coming soon - a new series of step-by-step demonstration videos and instructional workshops to supplement the video snapshots I've recently begun posting. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/40QbmsWWWBM" width="443" youtube-src-id="40QbmsWWWBM"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p>The step-by-step demos will generally run no more than 3 minutes with minimal text and voice-over. The narrated "full-length" workshops may run up to 1 hour but will likely be posted in 15-minute installments (allowing you to refresh your cup of coffee before starting a new chapter), and may include PDF materials lists.</p><p>Techniques and materials will be covered in shorter videos. Longer videos will cover journaling (nature and travel), drawing, and painting, with works covered from beginning to end. And we'll be doing a mix - alternating studio works with on-location plain air. (Watch for visits to some exciting destinations just as soon as we can put the pandemic in our rearview mirror.)</p><p>So, bare with me as I get the video studio back up to speed (and work out a few bugs - like remembering to turn off the metronome "click" in the audio track.) Watch for regular "test videos" to be announced here and - depending on their length and format - posted to my Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram/IGTV channels. And join me for the new art adventures.</p><p>Oh! If there are particular topics, techniques, or subjects you'd like to see covered - please let me know by leaving a suggestion in the Comments.</p><p>Thanks!</p>Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-81140778561438672132020-10-24T09:54:00.001-07:002020-10-24T09:58:00.345-07:00Video Snapshots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="339" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SXyQh6sJzmE" width="494" youtube-src-id="SXyQh6sJzmE"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p>I've begun creating and posting a series if short videos (I call them "Video Snapshots.") to my Instagram account recently. Each video runs 13-60 seconds in length and provides a step-by-step insight into my working process on a painting or drawing (or, in some cases, a scrolled pan of an elongated drawing or journal entry.)</p><p>To date I've posted 7 snapshots. (If you don't currently have an Instagram account, you can view the first 6 on my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDCrowpkLdmR8FNwj-s-W1g" target="_blank">DrawntoAdventure</a> YouTube channel.) And, going forward, I'll try to post a new short to Instagram every 3-4 days.</p><p>Once I have a steady following I hope to expand the offering by adding slightly longer (up to 10 minutes) IGTV demo and instructional videos to the mix. </p><p>So, take a look. And, if you like what you see be sure to "follow" me on Instagram.</p><p>Oh, if you have an idea for my future videos (Want to see instructional videos? Demos? Studio work? Plein air? Painting? Drawings? Journaling?) let me know in the comments below and I'll see what I can do.</p><p>Thanks!</p>Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-26822312001773063492020-10-12T12:12:00.001-07:002020-10-24T10:02:22.129-07:00Art in the Age of Covid<p> Like so many others, I've been experiencing an increasing level of stress since the onslaught of the global health crisis. Thanks to the internet and 24/7 news feed (which was SO accurately described by one observer as the "Doomsday Scroll"), we are all bombarded during our every waking hour by a steady stream of political, social, and health crisis that most of us are powerless to resolve.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0fUx5tthnHx4ej2JjKR8jnGZLywrkGaVP0Z8fJjteA7O_7zYubvpzvJucKmRneO3Fpcy1prq3C5thvHFSyi1Fiw42WHEWc1JVNM78yng1SLj0m33sSco0K80_0DWPmDgvmfF_N7lB4DS/s2048/In+the+Shadows+%2528First+Snow%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2045" height="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0fUx5tthnHx4ej2JjKR8jnGZLywrkGaVP0Z8fJjteA7O_7zYubvpzvJucKmRneO3Fpcy1prq3C5thvHFSyi1Fiw42WHEWc1JVNM78yng1SLj0m33sSco0K80_0DWPmDgvmfF_N7lB4DS/w560-h567/In+the+Shadows+%2528First+Snow%2529.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><p><br /></p>So, I've decided to join the growing number of people who are choosing to focus on the things that we do have some control over. I've deleted the news feed apps from my phone, stopped reading newspapers, stopped listening to radio talk shows, and stopped watching broadcast TV.<p></p><p>Instead, I've turned my attention to making art, fly fishing, and riding my bike (which frequently gets me to places where I can make art, or fly fish, or both.)</p><p>And - with this post - I'm renewing blog posting on a regular basis in hopes that these posts may prove helpful to others who are seeking a healthy, stress-free alternative to the current day-to-day grind.</p><p>I invite you to get comfortable, dust off your pens & pencils, get out your paints, and let's get started. </p><p>To get things rolling (and get some rust out of the system), I decided to complete a couple of paintings from my Zion National Park series. First was<i> In the Shadows (First Snow)</i>, 12"x12", oils on panel (above), followed by <i>Along the River/Zion Canyon from the Temple</i>, 9"x16", oils on panel (below). (And, if you'd like to see more works from this series, please visit my website gallery at <a href="http://www.earnestward.com/Earnest_Ward/Zion_NP.html" target="_blank">http://www.earnestward.com/Earnest_Ward/Zion_NP.html</a> )</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD7svP_1m9Rp6mXnzmt4Ynl5iycSlZtnJk53OyGaDsbHD2kftflW077HoYW_OLDFc9y_zbJX42eIJFL_fV6s5LEH_T8xXbjyUo22fPxowZ3C01YeWq-NxNU0cgL36ySikdkUsnzXWi9ip/s2048/Along+the+River%253AZion+Canyon+from+the+Temple.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1143" height="838" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD7svP_1m9Rp6mXnzmt4Ynl5iycSlZtnJk53OyGaDsbHD2kftflW077HoYW_OLDFc9y_zbJX42eIJFL_fV6s5LEH_T8xXbjyUo22fPxowZ3C01YeWq-NxNU0cgL36ySikdkUsnzXWi9ip/w469-h838/Along+the+River%253AZion+Canyon+from+the+Temple.jpeg" width="469" /></a></div><br /><p>In future posts I will share additional works, discuss art supplies & materials, offer suggestions on a variety of subjects and techniques, and demonstrate helpful step-by-step art-making processes.</p><p>As always, thanks for letting me share. And I hope to see you next time.</p><p>Oh, and if you'd like more frequent updates on what I'm up to, please follow me on Instagram! (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/earnestwardartist/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/earnestwardartist/</a> )</p>Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-35111285649444585092018-02-07T07:09:00.001-08:002018-02-07T07:11:55.658-08:00Up, Up and Away!(Sorry 'bout that. Now you'll spend the rest of the day with the Fifth Dimensions song playing in your head.)<br />
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I haven't posted in quite some time - but it hasn't been because I have no plans for new wilderness adventures.<br />
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As a matter of fact I've been busy polishing the rust off my piloting and photo/video skills, having a blast (at least on the days that haven't been too cold or too wet), and planning my next <i>voyage de découverte</i> (to begin just as soon as we've settled into spring.)<br />
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So, once color starts returning to Mother Nature's cheeks expect to see my usual sketches and paintings of wild things and places supplemented with panoramic aerial photos and videos - beginning here in Texas with the spring wildflowers, but ending up wherever the wanderlust takes us. <br />
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Hope to see you there!Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-36252174441732063842017-03-06T11:45:00.000-08:002017-03-06T11:45:13.187-08:00Uinta Chipmunk (A Step-by-Step Demo)Anyone who has hiked up to Angels Landing knows that, while on the move, you spend a great deal of time watching the trail ahead of you. (After all, accidentally wondering off this trail can be VERY traumatic.) And, as you near Indian Lookout you start noticing something new flitting back and forth across the trail (and maybe coming inquisitively close to you if you sit down to take a break along the way.) This speedy little fur ball with the alternating burnt orange & white stripes that runs with its tail stuck straight up in the air is Uinta Chipmunk, and it calls the higher elevations of Zion Canyon home. And this week I thought I'd share a "pocket painting" step-by-step demo of how I went about painting this energetic little fella.<br />
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As with most of my Zion paintings, I began with a small pencil comp study on gridded paper -- discovering the light/dark patterns, selecting the format shape, and determining the compositional relationship.<br />
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Work now begins on the pocket panel I've selected for the job -- in this case a 5x5 Gessobord which I've pre-toned with Burnt Sienna (a little darker, and redder, than my usual Yellow Ochre) -- as I quickly draw in the key shapes & confirm the shadows. (Note that I decided to draw the chipmunk slightly larger than in the comp study, and eliminate part of the surrounding sandstone.)<br />
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Painting began with a quick roughing in of the subject and establishment of the first shadows in the surrounding Navajo sandstone -- working from the middle tone of the panel toward my lightest lights and darkest darks. (That is, at this stage I avoid using white or chromatic black.)<br />
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With the color/tonal areas roughly established in the chipmunk I continue to block in the shadows and secondary (reflected) highlights within the weathered stone -- paying particular attention to the cool/warm contrasts.<br />
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Value contrast is relative: lights will appear lighter as new darks are introduced; and darks will seem to get darker as new areas of light are applied. For this reason (and to allow me the freedom to "discover" new highlights and core shadows to the very end) I continue to hold my lightest & darkest colors in reserve.<br />
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Once all of the general shapes have been blocked in and the basic color patterns have been completed I turn my attention to the final details; fine tuning color, unifying form, and carefully selecting & applying the brightest highlights & deepest shadows. <br />
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Two simple (and ever so beautiful) examples: a Western Bluebird that perched on the Grotto bus stop sign while I awaited the shuttle one morning; and a Sacred Datura in full bloom that I discovered near the Junction bus stop one afternoon. (In both cases, not while I was going somewhere, or looking at something else, but while I was waiting -- when I took the time to look at the micro-world about me and was open to new discoveries.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Western Bluebird</i>, 5"x5", oils on panel</span></div>
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When I am going no place in particular (or when I'm en route to somewhere in particular) I often carry a set of "tools" with which to capture the unexpected, the serendipitous: a pocket full of small Gessobord panels (I call the results "pocket paintings") with my small (ultra light weight) pochade box; and a sheet or two of 3.5"x5.5" watercolor paper (actually heavy ivory-colored, deckled "Verge de France" cards by G. Lalo) tucked away with my field notebooks, pens & watercolors in my daybag.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sacred Datura</i>, 3.5"x5.5", w/c over pen & ink</span></div>
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I never know when Circumstance will present me with an opportunity that calls for me to use one or the other; but I usually end up with a delightful keepsake of a memorable mini-adventure when she does.<br />
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On a footnote: the Sacred Datura is indigenous to dry areas of the North American west and southwest, and is highly poisonous to humans and livestock alike. However, several of the First Peoples of the region have discovered both medicinal and religious uses for this fragrant bloomer.Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-57347810893793822042017-02-13T08:29:00.003-08:002017-02-13T08:29:47.687-08:00Bend in the River - The Virgin River, Late Morning (A Step-by-Step Demo)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As with each of my paintings from Zion this image began with a decision about format (square? rectangle? elongated rectangle? horizontal? or vertical?) and then a quick compositional study in pencil on gridded paper.</div>
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Actually, this particular view had initially suggested an elongated horizontal format (previously posted) because of the width of the canyon at this point. But I was also taken with the verticality of the river and, so, decided to do a second composition.</div>
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As mentioned in last week's post, I began most of my Zion panels with an undertone of Yellow Ochre (an allusion to the overall warm tones of the canyon's stone wall) and then painted in the sky. The clouds set low in the sky at the far end of the canyon are tinted by the pink Navaho sandstone dust.</div>
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Next came the warm tones of the distant west wall of the canyon and the low intensity greens of the desert foliage just below the wall (which introduced a hint of the complimentary contrast to come.)</div>
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Working from background to foreground, I next moved to the east wall of the canyon and the foliage just beneath it. Both were, for the most part, still in shadow. But there were splashes of highlight to be seen within the foliage.</div>
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The meandering river was added next - pale as the sky itself where it was in direct sunlight, more intense within the shadow of the unseen canyon wall that towered above us to my far left.</div>
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The middle ground foliage tumbling down to the river's edge came next; again in deep shadow except for the faint warm highlights provided by indirect light reflected of the west canyon wall to the right. As I moved into middle ground (and eventually foreground) I began to apply the paint more thickly with a more aggressive, painterly brushstroke that that contrasted with (and complemented) the crisper edges of the dominant shapes.</div>
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An area of mostly warm red sandstone (with sparse patches of greenery) completed the foreground in the lower left & lower central portions of the painting. </div>
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The distant middle ground foliage and trail leading toward Walter's Wiggles & Angels' Landing were blocked in next - being careful to keep contrasts subdued because of the bright direct sunlight and atmospheric haze.</div>
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The bright sandy riverbank in direct sunlight was added next. The dry water channels on its surface were hinted at by subtle shadows & tonal variations. </div>
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The foreground riverbank was in deep shadows of violet, crimson violet, and blue violet. Core shadows of Phthalo Blue and reflected secondary highlights of crimson pink were also added to the segment of the river in shadow.</div>
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And the final stage of the color study consisted of blocking in the intense darkness of foreground foliage in the overhanging canopy, subduing the intensity of the shadowed Navajo sandstone at the bottom - and adding my signature. The finished work measures 24"x12" and was executed on Ampersand Gessobord with Gamblin Artists' Oil Paints.</div>
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I hope you've enjoyed this demo (and maybe found it a bit informative) and that you'll join me again next time.</div>
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In the meantime, I hope the weather where you are lets you get out and paint (or sketch.)</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-15215535187376909232017-02-09T14:30:00.002-08:002017-02-09T14:30:39.931-08:00The Watchman, Late Afternoon (A Step-by-Step Demo)Rather than simply post another finished work in my Zion series, I thought I'd share a little insight into my work process with a step-by-step demo this week.<br />
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Each of my Zion projects has begun as a quick compositional sketch; which allows me to decide on the composition & cropping of the landscape, and the size & orientation of the panel. (In this case I wanted to do a long horizontal of The Watchman and four buttes just before sunset as viewed from the highway just beneath the Human History Museum.)<br />
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I began the panel by first toning it with yellow ochre, underdrawing the major plains & shadows in graphite, and laying in the sky (which was an interesting combination of light cobalt blue and pale pink -- the latter a result of the late afternoon sun reflecting of the fine Navajo sandstone dust that hung low over the canyon.)<br />
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With the sky complete I turned my attention to the landscape's background plain -- establishing areas of light & shadow and introducing modest middle-key, cool/warm contrasts.</div>
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As the background plane of navajo sandstone neared completion I began to block in the most distant areas of foliage.... </div>
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This introduced the red/green contrast which makes Zion Canyon so visually appealing to artists and visitors alike.. </div>
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With the distant cliffs blocked in I turned my attention to the four buttes that constitute the middle plain (working from the most distant butte on the right and moving to the foreground on the left -- adding warmth & contrast as I went.) The clump of trees in shadow on the far right mark the beginning of the final (foreground) plane.</div>
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The foreground plane is the area of strongest contrast -- with fall foliage in bright afternoon sunlight and evergreens in deep, late afternoon shadow.</div>
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Contrast, hue, temperature & intensity is relative. And it is not until the entire panel has been blocked in that I can determine how accurately I have estimated each. In this case I decided that the background shadows needed to be cooler & the value contrast a bit more subdued.</div>
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Well, that's it for this week. Hope you enjoyed the demo... and that you'll drop by again next week.</div>
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Cheers!</div>
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<br />Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-27838300470817723592017-01-31T11:24:00.000-08:002017-01-31T11:24:10.972-08:00The Long and the Short and the TallIf you've been following my posts of color studies from Zion National Park you may have noticed that, to date, they've generally been 6"x8" or 9"x12" panels. Well, I thought it was time to take a break from those (not to worry, there are plenty more to come) and introduce a few of my more elongated pieces (12"x24" to be precise.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">since Zion canyon runs north-south the canyon's west walls (right) are in </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">bright </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">highlight while the east walls are in deep shadow </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">during the first half of </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">the </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">day</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">; </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">this pattern is then steadily reversed during the second half of the day</span></div>
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The first panoramic composition to catch my attention was something I came across while biking down canyon between the Big Bend and Grotto shuttle stops one morning. The roadway and nearest stretch of the Virgin River were in full shadow but opened up onto a brightly lit expanse of river, canyon floor, and west wall -- giving very much the effect of looking out from a cave or the mouth of a tunnel. (Finding this was an unexpected surprise as I got "stuck" in a "traffic jam" caused by a flock of wild turkeys who were completely blocking the entire road -- quite serendipitous, and totally wonderful.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">with every step, every bend in the trail, every stroke of the bike pedal, every </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">contrasts were always a dazzling delight)</span></div>
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The second panorama was of a very popular landmark, but seen from a point-of-view that is probably unfamiliar to most park visitors: The Watchman seen from the west rather than the more common (and iconic) northern vantage point.<br />
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(If you're fan of popular tunes from WWII, you'll no doubt recognize the title of this week's post as a line from Dame Vera Lynn's song, "Bless 'Em All!") <br />
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As always, thanks again for letting me share.Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-64892946440898393272016-06-27T13:42:00.001-07:002016-06-27T13:42:26.572-07:00First Light (Grotto House and Red Arch Mountain)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>First Light #1</u>, 9"x12", oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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During my stay in Zion NP my very busy daytime schedule (combined with the dry high desert air) usually meant that I was in bed by 8:30 and up by 5:30 (enjoying a pre-dawn breakfast, filling my water bottles and backpack, and planning another day of trail hikes, sketching and painting.)<br />
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Except in the area immediately around the Zion Inn most nights in the canyon were pitch black. <br />
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But not always.<br />
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During the full moon I stayed up to capture the amazing chiaroscuro effects of the canyon walls and floor bathed in moonlight (see the "Complementary Colors, Moonbeams and Shadows" post below.) and then stayed on to watch in fascination as the eastern sky brightened, the last stars faded, and the canyon's colors slowly awoke.<br />
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This week's post is the first of two attempts I made to capture the scene in oils. (I hope you like it.)<br />
Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-39023049588082606952016-06-27T13:13:00.000-07:002016-06-27T13:13:08.863-07:00Signed, Sealed and Delivered!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Down Canyon from the Temple</u>, 12"x9", Gamblin oils on </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gessobord, gilded plein air frame </span></div>
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Zion National Park Artists-in-Residence get an extraordinary deal from the National Park Service.<br />
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AiRs get to spend one month in the park: living in the Grotto House; exploring the trails, canyons, mesas of this geological wonder; getting to know the region's flora and fauna; and interacting with both local residents and visitors from around the globe.<br />
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And, in exchange, all the Park Service asks of visual artist residence is: two public presentations during the residency; and (within six months of completing the residency) one work of art inspired by the Zion National Park experience and a digital portfolio of all works created during the residency and the six month period following.<br />
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A few weeks ago I was informed that the selection committee had chosen <u>Down Canyon from the Temple</u>. And, after mounting the work in a gilded plein air frame, I had the folks at the UPS Store pack and deliver it to its new home in Utah.Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-6424876752062395142016-06-08T15:02:00.001-07:002016-06-08T15:02:24.719-07:00Complementary Colors, Moonbeams and Shadows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Virgin River, Zion Canyon III</u>, 12"x9", oils on panel</span></div>
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The desert Southwest has a special appeal for many artists. As one put it, in the Rockies and Cascade Mountains (and the Smokies and Appalachia) landscape painting is dominated by greens and blues; but in northern Arizona and southern Utah landscape painters get to use their reds, oranges, yellows, and purples!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Morning Shadows</u>, 12"x9", oils on panel</span></div>
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But, even amidst all the spectacle of the Southwest Zion Canyon is special. Thanks to the Virgin River, Zion Canyon is a desert oasis filled with delightful eye-catching complementary contrasts -- red/green, blue/orange, and even yellow/violet. And, because the narrow canyon runs more or less north/south its color/lighting effects are dynamic -- changing every few minutes throughout the day, and even through the nighttime hours on those nights when the moon is full. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Life on the Edge (Hanging Garden)</u>, 9"x12", oils on panel</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-uDMAJ9vDsCt6MS30S_9feCBFlcTSMFA90MtmH886gi7lrSm0qGeWbnGfJFro3ALSTzDb-vUnzqs_7-G6jSjC9NpWNvvrDeM4Ll18bJvx2HirnzduF4bEqx5Jq-DjxuNX_x1rWUJnAk/s1600/IMG_9197_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn-uDMAJ9vDsCt6MS30S_9feCBFlcTSMFA90MtmH886gi7lrSm0qGeWbnGfJFro3ALSTzDb-vUnzqs_7-G6jSjC9NpWNvvrDeM4Ll18bJvx2HirnzduF4bEqx5Jq-DjxuNX_x1rWUJnAk/s400/IMG_9197_dm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Watchman at Sunset I</u>, 9"x12", oils on panel</span></div>
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And the south Utah night sky comes as an amazing surprise for visitors who know only urban skies and the veil of light pollution that obscures all but the brightest stars and planets. Under a dark, new moon sky visitors can clearly see thousands (if not millions) of stars of all sizes and colors. But the real surprise for me came with the full moon! Before leaving home I had planned to try my hand at a nocturnal (my first the North Cascades) and had expected to produce a piece in silvers and grays. But, instead, I was amazed to find a moon so bright that I could distinguish individual leaves on the ground and colors in those areas under direct moonlight (while ink-black shadows completely hid the secret details within.) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Shadows and Moonbeams (Under A Full Moon)</u>, 12"x9", oils on panel</span></div>
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Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-71012749066009535092016-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:002016-03-30T15:43:02.989-07:00Autumn Along the Kayenta Trail, Zion NP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Virgin River and Lower Canyon from the Kayenta Trail, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">12"x9", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span> </div>
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Autumn in Zion NP: pick just about any point along the Virgin River -- from the Watchman to the mouth of the Narrows -- and you're bound to be treated to a landscape dotted with delightful splashes of fall color. But to experience the season's palette at its most spectacular you'll want to go <u>up</u>! You could opt to see it all from Angel's Landing, or just part way up the Wiggles. If you've got the stamina you could hike up to Observation Point for a view that is truly breathtaking (both figuratively and literally.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">comp study, graphite on Rhodia grid paper</span></div>
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But for the elevated view with the quickest access you can't go wrong with the hike up the Kayenta Trail from the Grotto shuttle stop -- in mid to late morning if you want the east side canyon walls bathed in blues and purples, or late afternoon if you want to see the same walls awash with warm pastels, oranges and reds. (In both cases, of course, the foliage along the canyon floor will be a sublime pat work of warm greens, yellows, and burnt oranges.)<br />
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I hope these posts are inspiring you to "find your National Park" during this year's centennial celebration of the NPS. And, as always, thanks for letting me share. Cheers!Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-17766269721491830482016-03-22T09:14:00.001-07:002016-03-22T09:14:58.589-07:00Temple of Sinawava, Zion NP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9EC2j78KMgTRatsUHxxQ5wZeK0OWvmTBKbQOHmmeN7G_Efl4KvXXjYcbcpN7mL1y_ciPjW4ETMGT_zZpk1AnwNSkfrX2YaFVJTCSl4Dw20oOLP0u-YtFf-Mf0baSLHg6RRgtDwQNPlk/s1600/IMG_8972_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9EC2j78KMgTRatsUHxxQ5wZeK0OWvmTBKbQOHmmeN7G_Efl4KvXXjYcbcpN7mL1y_ciPjW4ETMGT_zZpk1AnwNSkfrX2YaFVJTCSl4Dw20oOLP0u-YtFf-Mf0baSLHg6RRgtDwQNPlk/s400/IMG_8972_dm.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">this point just downstream from the Temple shuttle stop </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">was one of the first I discovered by bike</span></div>
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By far the easiest, most stress-free, way for visitors to explore the Zion Canyon floor during the main season is on the free shuttle. If you're staying in Springdale you can even leave your car at your hotel or B&B, take the town shuttle to the front gate, enter the park on foot, and catch the shuttle at the Visitor Center.<br />
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Take the shuttle to the top of Scenic Drive and you get off at the Temple of Sinewava stop (from which many visitors opt to take a hike along the relatively flat and very scenic Riverside Walk.) And, of course, visitors can choose to get on and off the shuttle at any of the seven other stops along the shuttle's route. But, to maximize the exploring experience, visitors can combine the shuttle with a bike. (Bring your own or rent one of the Green Bikes available at the Zion Lodge.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoXQ1nIHvS3qisqyiOc2HWGP0AVR94_wMbv4e78SQhtgy5OVeyf_3OjL-2-s3dzIvJQbHCgUpHiZ8rz_L3MNiLtSamB02wn416jERVJTIssCmCqHUiwCoaEb-FNLFCNgigNLwGBmYNt8/s1600/3.+IMG_6718+-+Version+2_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoXQ1nIHvS3qisqyiOc2HWGP0AVR94_wMbv4e78SQhtgy5OVeyf_3OjL-2-s3dzIvJQbHCgUpHiZ8rz_L3MNiLtSamB02wn416jERVJTIssCmCqHUiwCoaEb-FNLFCNgigNLwGBmYNt8/s400/3.+IMG_6718+-+Version+2_dm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">headed to the Grotto shuttle stop for another trip up canyon (some evenings </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">my face muscles would ache from grinning all day)</span></div>
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As mentioned in my Week 2 A-i-R blog post, the National Park Service arranged a Green Bike for my use and I frequently loaded the bike on the shuttle's rack for the ride to the top of the Canyon. From there I could return down canyon (frequently letting gravity do most of the work as I coasted downhill) and stop as often as a new subject came into view.<br />
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The Green Bikes are even equipped with wire baskets that were the perfect size for my plein air sketch kits, water bottles, and tripod. And, while the Park Service had very generously provided me with a "white pass" that allowed me vehicular access to the entire length of Scenic Drive (during the high season, visitors staying at the Zion Lodge receive "red passes" that allow them to drive approximately half way up the canyon; day visitors, campers, and those staying in town may only drive their vehicles as far as Canyon Junction) I found that, on a bike, I could stop anywhere a scene offered itself (rather than just at designated parking spots and turn-outs) and the bike even made an excellent platform from which to shoot video as I coasted down canyon.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">as I coasted downhill from the Big Bend shuttle stop I literally </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">discovered </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">exciting new subjects to sketch every 10-20 feet!</span></div>
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The experience was so rewarding artistically that, this spring, I'm putting together a "studio on two wheels" for further testing (maybe even adding a bike trailer for the occasional two-wheeled, man-powered adventure.)<br />
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Stay tune for updates and further developments. Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-21032583718813443192016-03-11T12:53:00.000-08:002016-03-11T12:53:01.563-08:00Big Bend, Zion NP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb5NGFRD4NDXCKP7PtcbX_kTX4ihSx-ol5rNVHeAP_fNKgIwuPZ0Ij4-5i6TtrNruJuow6KIUbAgkPikp2RrnHCVI4LBUnPtHLd9z2KFiuGsk-PmhYdqOgfYQbYP1WhmV5VDy-ASjvaE/s1600/IMG_8896_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb5NGFRD4NDXCKP7PtcbX_kTX4ihSx-ol5rNVHeAP_fNKgIwuPZ0Ij4-5i6TtrNruJuow6KIUbAgkPikp2RrnHCVI4LBUnPtHLd9z2KFiuGsk-PmhYdqOgfYQbYP1WhmV5VDy-ASjvaE/s400/IMG_8896_dm.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Big Bend II</i>, color sketch, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">8"x6", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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Big Bend was where I painted my first sketch after arriving in Zion National Park (all be it facing outward when everyone about me was facing inward.) It's also a place I returned to frequently as it offers dramatically different subjects and views when studied from different vantage points, different times of day, and different elevations (i.e., along the valley floor, or perched high on a canyon rim.)<br />
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Of course, the canyon is the main subject visitors come to see. But, for the artist, the fact that the oasis-like environment created by the Virgin River means that we are gifted with beautiful red-green contrasts that aren't always to be found in most other Navajo sandstone formations throughout the Southwest. So I spent some of my time in the park sketching the fauna of the canyon floor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexDMwAysiiAWoSXbAB9b7gKPKh4cS1r7oxwG5x2KY3cqrksUhyphenhyphenUJQeNUsbmshAdHUfVdp-2P6K58xAqP5u0sNzhMaaOYX18GC_E2T0m36DOcCDmZK-kMvWXIGVkG9X1SseRkt_qwI52w/s1600/IMG_8897_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexDMwAysiiAWoSXbAB9b7gKPKh4cS1r7oxwG5x2KY3cqrksUhyphenhyphenUJQeNUsbmshAdHUfVdp-2P6K58xAqP5u0sNzhMaaOYX18GC_E2T0m36DOcCDmZK-kMvWXIGVkG9X1SseRkt_qwI52w/s400/IMG_8897_dm.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Canyon Crest & Lone Pine</i>, color sketch, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">8"x6", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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But one of the things that really amazed me was that -- in this dry desert environment -- so many Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs were growing, not along the course of the Virgin River but high up on narrow precarious ledges and even on seemingly vertical canyon walls. I was both baffled and astounded that these beautiful giants survived (little alone thrived) apparently without soil, nutrients, or a regular source of water. (And, in the end, I did several studies of these "hanging gardens.")<br />
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Thus far my art posts have focused on the park and my time there (primarily because I have a pending deadline for the piece I'll be donating to the ZNP permanent collection and I want the selection committee to have as many pieces to choose from as possible.) But it would be wrong to imply that I didn't encounter visually exciting subjects before arriving in the park -- as these comp studies will attest. (Expect to see the finished color sketches from the Navajo Nation posted here after I've fulfilled my obligation to the Park Service.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was awe-struck by my first encounter with the arid sandstone giants as we left Flagstaff and entered the Navajo Nation</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx6zdlVQ9OUerWuCzNY_hGgRYjUK-3tAWU39SoHZIJF56hYzFv5neTd-2kEkIpYJ58_pxAel55pfsVvml1KW2y_Xqirv1_qrG9QxRceJF9hldlAWAM9ly0AljCDfvWyFpzlCMlC77NaM/s1600/IMG_8935_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx6zdlVQ9OUerWuCzNY_hGgRYjUK-3tAWU39SoHZIJF56hYzFv5neTd-2kEkIpYJ58_pxAel55pfsVvml1KW2y_Xqirv1_qrG9QxRceJF9hldlAWAM9ly0AljCDfvWyFpzlCMlC77NaM/s400/IMG_8935_dm.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">while I thought that it would be so cool to spend time drawing, painting and staring up at the brilliant night sky here (at least until the food, water, or paints ran out), it also struck me that it would take a special kind of person to handle the immense solitude of the place </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglheItukkipYoDuqb3aJOzVBI069IUl7qhsSYfddL7lcRma44FzwY0p2a7jYeXvZKybenumd229ceozuGjwI1sCsO6jKQoDxvnW8_P4xbvOpnQ5r9g9muLhwlb36eQDw22FqcqNzH9JY4/s1600/IMG_8942_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglheItukkipYoDuqb3aJOzVBI069IUl7qhsSYfddL7lcRma44FzwY0p2a7jYeXvZKybenumd229ceozuGjwI1sCsO6jKQoDxvnW8_P4xbvOpnQ5r9g9muLhwlb36eQDw22FqcqNzH9JY4/s400/IMG_8942_dm.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">climbing highway 89 between Bitter Springs and Page -- sandstone giants to our right and the beginnings of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River far below us on the left </span> </div>
Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-91551637894355089662016-01-22T11:17:00.000-08:002016-01-22T11:17:51.754-08:00Court of the Patriarchs, Zion NP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRco55ugo9_FJ1zBZONTJaoeJITztzQhahnqX3MYRWoRtKhEJ1CEoRQ4-twv7IdIuGn9MabYDNdwCb7ANzaZXdB-x5RCwPpk1av1wVoccNyNREvGKjNVCVDKZOmq857cSCuAhjqqYmxc/s1600/IMG_8828_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRco55ugo9_FJ1zBZONTJaoeJITztzQhahnqX3MYRWoRtKhEJ1CEoRQ4-twv7IdIuGn9MabYDNdwCb7ANzaZXdB-x5RCwPpk1av1wVoccNyNREvGKjNVCVDKZOmq857cSCuAhjqqYmxc/s400/IMG_8828_dm.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>South Wall, Court of the Patriarchs</i>, color sketch, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">8"x6", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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Zion National Park is blessed with a plethora of scenic marvels. Some are easily accessible ( the Watchman, for example, <u>can</u>* be viewed without leaving your car) while others (like the view from atop Angels Landing) require strenuous, but exhilarating, hikes. With its own shuttle stop (just two stops up-canyon from the Human History Museum or one stop down from the Lodge) the Court of the Patriarchs is decidedly closer to the Watchman in ease of access.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QGgqfsDCDEuKXHwp_lOJbsouGVjBSQGF-8Fso1qn_k-vR3gRng5m-bnH9GYp8MpSw28gDP1q8mDlj8Vod2gitbb99T_Y8mytB42JP88yCQckt1YBh0RFBAQA5x90ctFDN5mnyrzhg3o/s1600/IMG_8821_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QGgqfsDCDEuKXHwp_lOJbsouGVjBSQGF-8Fso1qn_k-vR3gRng5m-bnH9GYp8MpSw28gDP1q8mDlj8Vod2gitbb99T_Y8mytB42JP88yCQckt1YBh0RFBAQA5x90ctFDN5mnyrzhg3o/s400/IMG_8821_dm.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Isaac, Court of the Patriarchs</i>, color sketch, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">8"x6", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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For the least obstructed view of the Patriarchs and the Sentinel visitors can opt to hike the very short, only slightly strenuous, east trail up to the observation point (which places the visitor above the tops of the surrounding trees), walk to the river's edge from the shuttle stop, or hike to the CotP via the Sand Bench Horse Trail (for dramatic vertical views from the foot of the cliff walls.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuP_OEeSCs3yC_zCzdX2nevtXIWGmk7eAlGfiABaDq6criqMUYBG04fLLvis8etxQzVUJ71AB0O3zm5E9vlkCvP0wz4b-lF7tJM9eV_EdEcUu2ao44dmixYnzLszkzEbwKcS97gtjzwQ/s1600/IMG_8847_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuP_OEeSCs3yC_zCzdX2nevtXIWGmk7eAlGfiABaDq6criqMUYBG04fLLvis8etxQzVUJ71AB0O3zm5E9vlkCvP0wz4b-lF7tJM9eV_EdEcUu2ao44dmixYnzLszkzEbwKcS97gtjzwQ/s400/IMG_8847_dm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Sentinel, Court of the Patriarchs</i>, color sketch, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">6"x8", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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Mornings (just after the sun rises above the canyon's east wall) offer the most colorful and dramatic lighting. Late afternoon will find most, if not all, of the Court in shadow. And there are sometimes some very interesting effects to be seen after rain showers and thunderstorms (when whisky clouds often dance about the peaks.)</div>
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* I say "can" be viewed from your car (during those times when Scenic Drive is open to private vehicles.) However, exploring the park on foot, by bike, or via the free shutter are far more relaxing and rewarding.</div>
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Much more to come!</div>
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<br />Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-12477763680236420072016-01-05T08:56:00.000-08:002016-01-05T08:56:15.341-08:0073 Works (And Counting)<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeZEmwOWhu60xNxNblgIFrJqZiKdf12-ejqat_86H1ljfS8V189WQelowDO6m4tfpoYTYVQoCpCud0doXzSQbJZCZoZ357dId5rMarxCZ10IyeNN3M77LMmc6uLzi0VlWvzmcYyizxVA/s1600/IMG_8644_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeZEmwOWhu60xNxNblgIFrJqZiKdf12-ejqat_86H1ljfS8V189WQelowDO6m4tfpoYTYVQoCpCud0doXzSQbJZCZoZ357dId5rMarxCZ10IyeNN3M77LMmc6uLzi0VlWvzmcYyizxVA/s400/IMG_8644_dm.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">oil sketch of the "other bend" at the Big Bend shuttle stop </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(in Zion NP </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">you can look at one breathtaking view -- then </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">turn to </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">each of the </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">other </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">compass quadrants to discover 3 more), 12"x9", Gamblin oils on Gessobord </span></div>
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Since returning home from my Zion-SoCal adventure there have been any number of important priority items vying for my attention -- friends and family to catch up with (after missing Thanksgiving with my family, being home for Christmas was doubly special this year), a veggie garden in serious need of attention (the carrots, kale, and chives are thriving), my studio to put in order, and the last of the local fall color to capture. (Fall color comes late to north Texas.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKS3YiH8V_PuNl0BD6GkQJxXggIef_uNiAC5vLBgFmmmANRyVV8RAFqMVY6hJk5MySx7MDqWx014OsDlAmWoYWZTvt5TZuuPEX1YXKi6sKjfRqSY8G_KGfdRdwR0s_htB82_jgW0_Ja8/s1600/IMG_8672_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKS3YiH8V_PuNl0BD6GkQJxXggIef_uNiAC5vLBgFmmmANRyVV8RAFqMVY6hJk5MySx7MDqWx014OsDlAmWoYWZTvt5TZuuPEX1YXKi6sKjfRqSY8G_KGfdRdwR0s_htB82_jgW0_Ja8/s200/IMG_8672_dm.jpg" width="153" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsQCGVikHaItGeaEdBkq3Irg15AZMBH0SUmw8hG4PFgNB89WpKN_4XkjucNuYzpHG4AWaPPmTI4qIihHXk2oZJ0nYMps_i6OJAyuxvUUTs5UQOufGRLPurKwnDaQTa9zi6Uj66gRtFhU/s1600/IMG_8716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsQCGVikHaItGeaEdBkq3Irg15AZMBH0SUmw8hG4PFgNB89WpKN_4XkjucNuYzpHG4AWaPPmTI4qIihHXk2oZJ0nYMps_i6OJAyuxvUUTs5UQOufGRLPurKwnDaQTa9zi6Uj66gRtFhU/s200/IMG_8716.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9XX6Db6NKX0T3oZh7ERYeWvuIzS2u7rMoDDvfZlHdsT0pn3E_Scxoo4M1TeqiAaBSj9BfyvomO6yWhLUxCEJDxWGL57Nh-eutIFXHJ5xZLtOP1S6CwVZWGT_-w3ZnfIenX42IUSEFMs/s1600/IMG_8733_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9XX6Db6NKX0T3oZh7ERYeWvuIzS2u7rMoDDvfZlHdsT0pn3E_Scxoo4M1TeqiAaBSj9BfyvomO6yWhLUxCEJDxWGL57Nh-eutIFXHJ5xZLtOP1S6CwVZWGT_-w3ZnfIenX42IUSEFMs/s200/IMG_8733_dm.jpg" width="116" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ44dSfrev0K28kKrxkU78siXrwS3IgGFoTEpe_eRsjcHR35K4Gt5Z1jiPj-wmJR7SKs4KlD8cdN6Ymw74UCeuMzazZoQPEQtONPQZUL7OaSnJBWbY9469tqO1opnNsM16wcaSp9r24-w/s1600/IMG_8719_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ44dSfrev0K28kKrxkU78siXrwS3IgGFoTEpe_eRsjcHR35K4Gt5Z1jiPj-wmJR7SKs4KlD8cdN6Ymw74UCeuMzazZoQPEQtONPQZUL7OaSnJBWbY9469tqO1opnNsM16wcaSp9r24-w/s200/IMG_8719_dm.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">day or night (well, at least on the nights with a full moon) </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">there </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">was </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">always something to catch the eye, comp sketches, graphite on paper</span></div>
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But, as the trees shed their leaves and the local landscape finally takes on its drab winter mantle, I'm also slipping into my "winter studio production mode" -- catching up on the backlog of works that need to be digitized, and producing new works from the sketches and color studies brought back from my month-long sojourn in Mukuntuweap. (I have until mid-May to deliver my finished and framed donation artwork for the Zion NP permanent collection and I want the selection committee to have a large group of works to choose from.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiggcamIsfICeol165KGTHCsS1Ex055oNMTjbIkS5qf89hjYd2ReoEKteXyW-EqJwCYO4Er3uBX-tQQDkZNy3JuS7gJCZVv06eMj6772nv2t-otqcNL5jiEB7kqGQPj5uLLz2dH1EqreA/s1600/IMG_8602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiggcamIsfICeol165KGTHCsS1Ex055oNMTjbIkS5qf89hjYd2ReoEKteXyW-EqJwCYO4Er3uBX-tQQDkZNy3JuS7gJCZVv06eMj6772nv2t-otqcNL5jiEB7kqGQPj5uLLz2dH1EqreA/s320/IMG_8602.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Angels Landing & the Organ in Morning Shadow, </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">color sketch, 6"x8", Gamblin oils on Gessobord</span></div>
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Thus far I've posted 73 works to the new Zion NP gallery on my <a href="http://www.earnestward.com/Earnest_Ward/Zion_NP.html" target="_blank">website</a> -- 68 works on paper and 5 oil panels. I have a few more sketches and watercolors (and maybe a video or two) to add to the works on paper group over the next week or so. But, generally speaking, my focus can turn to the oil panels. (Of course, should we get snow this year, my day bag is always packed and ready -- but that would only be a brief day-break from the studio -- and snow in north Texas is always a big "if.") </div>
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So, I hope you'll stay tuned. (And, please, drop me a line from time to time and let me know what you think of the new work.)</div>
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New Tools --</div>
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You may recall that part way through my residency my pocket-sized Rhodia sketchbooks (the ones with the gridded paper) became a little unwieldy. (Specifically, the binding works best if pages are removed as they are completed. But, since I prefer to leave them bound, the sketchbooks became very thick as the pages were folded back -- necessitating the use of a thick rubber band to keep things in order.) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZvUwc_8yWUnogj0pvNcRgc9UmFvbUA4aRYvx-UmGCuUlB6Rx3brjQIKxEH1W1qv3gGbQbN2-7F2dvLsWtnIJ_dBXSJ2lqGXGyLWsMS5N1DjLyiCZD3epZIw4kdDD4eag2L_v1YQbNtk/s1600/IMG_8535_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZvUwc_8yWUnogj0pvNcRgc9UmFvbUA4aRYvx-UmGCuUlB6Rx3brjQIKxEH1W1qv3gGbQbN2-7F2dvLsWtnIJ_dBXSJ2lqGXGyLWsMS5N1DjLyiCZD3epZIw4kdDD4eag2L_v1YQbNtk/s200/IMG_8535_dm.jpg" width="142" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdY2K1VkONI0_cMqGV1vpWa58YGyZceC0V7ChD_GV-flTcd3dvSd9mmSmbUNtHOLICROlC9p9wTdqd-JQ_ltXNBrQZNaV8bhiwDCT_7v8cD72sYm2cas8P05qfIcTMpoVdIs9kdILqbW0/s1600/IMG_8771_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdY2K1VkONI0_cMqGV1vpWa58YGyZceC0V7ChD_GV-flTcd3dvSd9mmSmbUNtHOLICROlC9p9wTdqd-JQ_ltXNBrQZNaV8bhiwDCT_7v8cD72sYm2cas8P05qfIcTMpoVdIs9kdILqbW0/s320/IMG_8771_dm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">the No. 18 Rhodia (A4/8.3"c11.7") pad offers ample room for comp sketches of all sizes and shapes, and the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">slip cover (with tits stitched edge and embossed logo) provide both elegance and added protection in the field </span></div>
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Fortunately, partway in to my residency the folks at Rhodia offered a near-perfect solution -- a day bag-sized pad with its own embossed cover (which adds both style and excellent protection while working in the field.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNIe-IV_pJ-OBTNQNSXPJCe6j9mjXwOs33lzdUseGlpff22MsjzN_xj94TS1uiRNTTxONQNiBhvsl3NqmGAp0p43KXMVZVXiTPOaG9Xq-p9bs0yzG7Rg7LGPSYTAR0oPUmFT4FUampF4/s1600/IMG_8790_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNIe-IV_pJ-OBTNQNSXPJCe6j9mjXwOs33lzdUseGlpff22MsjzN_xj94TS1uiRNTTxONQNiBhvsl3NqmGAp0p43KXMVZVXiTPOaG9Xq-p9bs0yzG7Rg7LGPSYTAR0oPUmFT4FUampF4/s400/IMG_8790_dm.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">in addition to being non-toxic Gamblin Solvent-Free Gel is amazingly light weight </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(very important if you're "packing it in/packing it out") and has a very mild scent</span></div>
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When I had to change my travel plans (flying from Utah to SoCal) I had to abandon my mineral spirits and stainless steel brush washer (both of which were added to the Grotto House's art cache for next year's residents.) Now I've added a backpack-sized brush washer to my kit, replaced the mineral spirits, and (for those times when traveling with flammable and/or hazardous materials is not an option) added Gamblin's Solvent-Free Gel to my paints box.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMTcNgUJkmUITMmC3q7GFBXU1DzZU4YEAvgbD0NX4P8qSuRLKU6UdWOakeGO32gvXUouJF73-fZ0dU3dW84Vw0lnHmhGULLnKDVF_dNQcOAH5_hlsoqj5-43-6gjQMgb1O_9IPO68CX0/s1600/IMG_8777_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixMTcNgUJkmUITMmC3q7GFBXU1DzZU4YEAvgbD0NX4P8qSuRLKU6UdWOakeGO32gvXUouJF73-fZ0dU3dW84Vw0lnHmhGULLnKDVF_dNQcOAH5_hlsoqj5-43-6gjQMgb1O_9IPO68CX0/s200/IMG_8777_dm.jpg" width="67" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIxhkbmtjgm7fEx7fMFG0WnqqbTFDaH7M9CwHih39rpNrwv20w1noP-Jttv7E2yB0oGctlwiFStAneL9s45ElnUAvXwqJIyO_VGCuqzLqV52TGBrC3DiJm4aNHvT0HHxPtI32S3FrqDM/s1600/IMG_8779_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVIxhkbmtjgm7fEx7fMFG0WnqqbTFDaH7M9CwHih39rpNrwv20w1noP-Jttv7E2yB0oGctlwiFStAneL9s45ElnUAvXwqJIyO_VGCuqzLqV52TGBrC3DiJm4aNHvT0HHxPtI32S3FrqDM/s200/IMG_8779_dm.jpg" width="163" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESOeO2cDFxq_I0GpIblFL2F0t6NfXmDO3jFooxe4dn4LTkVWjsL_bSSn8Ii7LAAemlkRCE1SGms8NcyM2jnMZnavSpU7WYgU4omMi_YSwa6ai0gc2SPmhQfGtdbrWVMqIs3SWWJnhsIg/s1600/IMG_8782_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjESOeO2cDFxq_I0GpIblFL2F0t6NfXmDO3jFooxe4dn4LTkVWjsL_bSSn8Ii7LAAemlkRCE1SGms8NcyM2jnMZnavSpU7WYgU4omMi_YSwa6ai0gc2SPmhQfGtdbrWVMqIs3SWWJnhsIg/s200/IMG_8782_dm.jpg" width="63" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe-xxfl0MnJxMsBc0sqVqZBEshxoqF054EDWYQ5tndG_1ZQbDgGp35OSXgCg2YeaFkIOco6SIHB9oQtEb4k-P26zycNEfLkhGR41a0DYtgM4s8ryxjlx6NFbQpg0igMV30nHC1asVP3o/s1600/IMG_8784_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpe-xxfl0MnJxMsBc0sqVqZBEshxoqF054EDWYQ5tndG_1ZQbDgGp35OSXgCg2YeaFkIOco6SIHB9oQtEb4k-P26zycNEfLkhGR41a0DYtgM4s8ryxjlx6NFbQpg0igMV30nHC1asVP3o/s200/IMG_8784_dm.jpg" width="103" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">the adjustable Smart Lamp is daylight balanced with 3 brightness settings and is powered </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">by a </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">rechargeable battery, USB cable, or AC power plug (all included) </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">-- it's </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">also very </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">lightweight </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">and, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">when folded, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">is shorter than a standard size paint brush</span></div>
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And, for those times when Mother Nature provides less than ideal lighting (and for all future residencies) I've added a portable Smart Lamp R10 from Naturalight. It's compact, daylight balanced, operates off either rechargeable battery or AC, LEDs mean hours of continuous use between recharges, and (best of all) it's modestly priced. While the Smart Lamp is designed as a tabletop lamp, its compact size and light weight make it quite functional (when paired with a camper's LED headlamp) as a handheld supplemental light source (say, for those times when you want to do a plein air nocturnal under a full moon.) </div>
Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-56811564014340704932015-12-14T10:30:00.002-08:002015-12-14T13:09:06.515-08:00Home Again, Home Again Jiggety-Jig (or "Pauline's Misadventures in Limbo-land")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">local mechanics, Twinkletoes and Twinklethumbs (yours truly, cirlced) just </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">before </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">replacing Pauline's fuel tank</span></div>
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Well, the quick turnaround (arrive one day, leave the next) in SoCal was not to be. We worked diligently on the car and Pauline was starting to look really neat with all her new parts. But, as week three neared an end, I decided that it was high time I got back to my family and my studio obligations. So, I bid farewell to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, caught the red-eye home from LAX, and arrived (sans Jeep) in time for breakfast with the wife and kids (followed by sleep, lots and lots of sleep.) It felt <u>great</u> to be home!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Riverside Walk</u>, color sketch, 8"x6", </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gamblin oils on Ampersand Gessobord</span></div>
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After napping away the better part of the first day home, I got down to work -- first unloading all of my gear from the Utah adventure, and then beginning the compilation of drawings and paintings for a Zion NP gallery page on my website.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Grotto House and Red Arch Mountain</u>, 10"x7", </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">w/c over pen & ink</span></div>
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Over the next few months I will be adding dozens of new works to the collection. And, as soon as the National Park Service has selected the piece for their permanent collection, many of the oil paintings will be offered for sale. So, please take a look at my new page (<a href="http://www.earnestward.com/Earnest_Ward/Zion_NP.html" target="_blank">Zion NP Gallery Page</a>) and, if you like what you see, check back often to see the latest additions. (There's <u>much</u> more to come!)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><u>Golden Hour</u>, comp study, graphite on paper (one of the 35 </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">works on paper I've posted to the new gallery thus far)</span></div>
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Looking for a unique, one-of-a-kind gift for the Holidays? Something for that special art lover or nature enthusiast in your life? Check out the selection in my <a href="http://www.earnestward.com/Earnest_Ward/4-Sale.html" target="_blank">4-Sale gallery</a>. Most are available with or without framing, and enquiries are always welcome.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">artworks in the 4-Sale gallery range from $250 to $700 plus S&H</span></div>
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Cheers! Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-6758136855686562512015-12-01T11:14:00.003-08:002015-12-01T11:16:37.634-08:00Turning Corners (Week 5 in Zion NP -- and New Adventures)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the morning view along the Grotto Trail</span></div>
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Before coming to Zion I was expecting to be thrilled by a deluge of visual wonders that would greet me upon my arrival, but to see a gradual diminishing of new wonders and thrills as the month progressed. The former was most certainly the case beginning the very moment my family and I exited the "visual deprivation" of the east entrance tunnel. However -- as the park has gone from late summer-like weather to autumn and now to early winter-like conditions -- I find that I continue to be thrilled and amazed by the park's ever changing dynamics. There is <u>always</u> something new to see and experience -- in every direction! And I am left thinking that even a year-long stay in this wondrous place would still only scratch the surface of all that it has to offer visitors and residents alike.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the mysterious Building 129 (no one could tell me its history) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">one of my last comp sketches and color studies </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">(look for a </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">post </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">or two about </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">the works </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">in these series</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">and the follow-on studio pieces,</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> once I get home) </span></div>
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Week 5, of course, was not a complete week in the park -- just the last two days of my month-long adventure. But, oh!, what lovely days they were! Mornings began with brisk exploratory walks (which continued to result in new discoveries -- be they geological wonders for sketching and painting or architectural finds from the CCC-era) with frequent stops along the way to wonder at the ice patterns on the puddles and snow on the higher peaks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">just up-canyon from the Watchman (seen from Highway 9 just in front of the Human History Museum)</span></div>
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Even on my very last day, as I was waiting for the ride that would take my out of Zion, I was presented with one final, farewell view -- of the Watchman during the "golden hour" just before sunset (a view that was every bit as sublime as the one that greeted me on my very first day.)<br />
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Now, those who have followed my little adventure from its beginning will know that the original plan was for my family to come back through Zion midway through my residency and drop off a Jeep (a surprise gift to my son from his uncle.) Well, as plans frequently have a way of doing, that didn't quite work out the way we'd expected.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">my son helping rebuild his "new" Jeep -- all hoses, tires, filters, battery, fluids, starter, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">carb, distributor, radiator, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">wiring, plugs, bushings (and the rat's nest in the glove box) had to go</span></div>
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The Jeep in question (a 1980 CJ5 with the 4.2 Liter "Line 6" engine and 4-speed manual tranny) had been in storage in southern California for 17 years and, as it turned out, was a bit more of a "fixer upper" than my brother-in-law had first thought. After extending their stay in SoCal for an extra week (during which my son helped replace the tires, hoses, starter, battery, drain the fuel tank, and rebuild both the carb and distributor) the Jeep was still not quite roadworthy and my family had to return home. (A special thanks to my wife's boss for being so patient and understanding.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the first two legs of the new adventure</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the short flight and the long drive (notice all the exclamation marks along the roadway)</span></div>
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Plan A (driving home solo from Zion) was shelved and I turned to Plan B (get a lift to St. George, catch the shuttle to Las Vegas/a flight to LAX/another shuttle to the in-laws, and enjoy a new 1300-mile adventure driving home solo via the southern route.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the view that greeted me when I arrived (could have been worse; </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">as a joke, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">my </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">brother-in-law </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">told </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">me </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">he'd just blown the transmission</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">), and what 17 years of </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">SoCal </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">heat will </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">do </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">to a </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">brand new top (windows turned to opaque crispy bacon)</span> </div>
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Unfortunately, my first familiarization drive made it clear that my son's "new" Jeep still wasn't ready for a cross-country adventure. (Jurrasic Park 3 made it look so <u>easy</u>!) A second cleaning of the carb was required and we discovered that the original fuel tank was corroded beyond repair. Fortunately, my brother-in-law had a spare tank and sending unit (in great shape) for a CJ5 and, along the way we even scored a near-new replacement soft-top (with split doors!) for a song.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"Pauline" with her brand new tires and top (with clear windows!), </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">but her hood is still saying, "Feed me!"</span></div>
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So, as Week 5 ends I'm not on the road yet (and am missing my family terribly) but the Jeep is beginning to look quite nice (parked in the driveway) and I'm certainly having an adventure -- even if it's not the one I planned on. (Be sure and tune in next week for another exciting episode of "The Perils of Pauline.")<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">sunrise from my in-laws' terrace (yep, some clouds even have a <u>gold</u> lining)</span></div>
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Cheers! Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-53018765181275620372015-11-23T08:46:00.000-08:002015-11-23T08:46:00.495-08:00Is That Snow?!? (Week 4 in Zion NP)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpLUx2s0uilhYFfJ55or10Xmpoxw5h19M10o5AWuZh2eVpggPOrrfA8NytVZi6Tt1L11riJOhBaYNBKQdLkXbSHgFIALvM7GKe4EKqQTWjHJgJUoc9ipdCKu2Mtamew7v8K2x3HBYcVA/s1600/IMG_7341_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpLUx2s0uilhYFfJ55or10Xmpoxw5h19M10o5AWuZh2eVpggPOrrfA8NytVZi6Tt1L11riJOhBaYNBKQdLkXbSHgFIALvM7GKe4EKqQTWjHJgJUoc9ipdCKu2Mtamew7v8K2x3HBYcVA/s400/IMG_7341_dm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the water droplets in the clouds acted as miniature prisms, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">causing the colors of the peak to change moment by moment</span></div>
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Each day in Zion Canyon is filled with wondrous delights, and the first day of my final full week in the park was no exception. I awoke, as usual, before dawn and, at first light, was treated to wispy white clouds dancing about the sun-drenched canyon tops. It was amazing and continued for much of the morning!<div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">with ever-changing views like this I'm amazed that anyone opts to drive a car in Zion</span></div>
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For most of my stay (in fact, until the PAAI painters arrived) I seemed to be the only painter in the park. (There's lats of space to choose from and it's easy to avoid tripping over one another.) But the same can't be said for photographers. In fact, as fall color has finally begun to appear, a daily late afternoon "feeding frenzy" has become the norm at the Canyon Junction bridge, with dozens of photographers vying for position to capture the "perfect" picture of two very iconic subjects: the Watchman and Virgin River. (Ironically, I think a much better view of the pair is to be had from one of the bridges on the Pa'rus Trail, and it's crowd-free. But that's just my personal opinion.)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">my "mystery flower" and one of the Arizona Sisters I encounter along the Grotto Trail</span></div>
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The flora of Zion Canyon has turned out to be something of an enchanting paradox; at the very same time that fall color is beginning to appear, and mornings are often marked by frost, wildflowers are popping up along the riverbanks and butterflies are seen on the canyon floor flitting about in the midday sun. The butterflies all seem to be Arizona Sisters, but there are several species of flowers, including this mystery. (If anyone has any insight as to its identity I would be most grateful if you could leave a comment or drop me an email.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn8nH7GuVHl6oOq__njfdEqyALFBWTZd8uHleOllcMuC89f76QKcXToU-pSsZLrxYUBKmwcBA96vknLIumr319d7zFj00TGiXgvrbKxqInQszEfbUPL7uW-FN3BrT58mbMVuJCBDIM3U/s1600/IMG_6486_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn8nH7GuVHl6oOq__njfdEqyALFBWTZd8uHleOllcMuC89f76QKcXToU-pSsZLrxYUBKmwcBA96vknLIumr319d7zFj00TGiXgvrbKxqInQszEfbUPL7uW-FN3BrT58mbMVuJCBDIM3U/s200/IMG_6486_dm.jpg" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4s2ynhOYA04TEqYUf_ilWrkF4Jgc7kEwkFb61FloRqWafy2zcAOSY8S2Jcq38hA0DuedJfgzGx2MvHP40wasLwVPui9JpYuciiKNvSAZsWnSyhtedjZc6eIai6uY7e3qNEEv57WlL5k/s1600/IMG_7582_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB4s2ynhOYA04TEqYUf_ilWrkF4Jgc7kEwkFb61FloRqWafy2zcAOSY8S2Jcq38hA0DuedJfgzGx2MvHP40wasLwVPui9JpYuciiKNvSAZsWnSyhtedjZc6eIai6uY7e3qNEEv57WlL5k/s200/IMG_7582_dm.jpg" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwisY0pYCXK_PAyVJd0JV-0tk6aZ6pupAUDOzYno0gXrZp0VPVJkcxWhGP_DZsd4xeZpb0vqIS2GZvrrhXMZ2T52nhLlziq_uiLkWjMVMh_Q4Dw2HGMQ6XfiD9JjXPKBx2IyJrYaomxb8/s1600/IMG_7581_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwisY0pYCXK_PAyVJd0JV-0tk6aZ6pupAUDOzYno0gXrZp0VPVJkcxWhGP_DZsd4xeZpb0vqIS2GZvrrhXMZ2T52nhLlziq_uiLkWjMVMh_Q4Dw2HGMQ6XfiD9JjXPKBx2IyJrYaomxb8/s200/IMG_7581_dm.jpg" width="111" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">comp sketch have proven a wonderful tool in zion, as has my </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Zion NP Green Bike </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">"studio on wheels", and the "phase 1" results</span></div>
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And then there's the plein air painting. Normally I would expect to have an hour to an hour and a half to work on a panel before the light changes too much (and with some subjects in the park that has proven the case.) But -- with a canyon that runs more or less north and south, and the canyon walls so close -- the lighting on some subjects changes in mere minutes! Fortunately, as a month-long resident, I've had the luxury of being able to return to a subject on following day(s) and pick up where I left off. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">and, when exploring afoot, my lightweight 6x8 ThumBox has been perfect</span></div>
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And, yes, toward the end of the week we experienced yet another dip in the temperature... and snow in the higher elevations. That required that I bundle up and venture out to the (ice covered) foot bridge to photograph the west wall peaks (and a Dipper that was fishing for her breakfast) at first light. And the whole experience was so delightfully sublime. (But was it really in the mid 80s when I got here? How things do change!) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">as the sun came up those areas of snow in direct light gradually melted, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">but those areas in shadow remained all week (and resulted in a few nice oil sketches)</span></div>
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Then, last but certainly not least, I had a visit -- from none other than the original Guerrilla Painter himself: Carl Judson! With the Grotto House bathed in warm afternoon sunlight we chatted for several hours (about plein air painting, my residency, and how much the park has changed since Carl's last visit some tow decades ago) before he had to hit the road again. (Carl had just returned from a business trip to China and was on his way home.) </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">two typical guerrilla painters (who seem to enjoy what they do)</span></div>
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Next week I hope you'll join me for my last few days in Zion -- and for a little surprise. Hope to see you then.</div>
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Cheers!<br /><div>
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Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-88923471935065591262015-11-18T09:26:00.002-08:002015-11-18T09:28:20.184-08:00Autumn's Here! (Week 3 in Zion NP)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the first splashes of autumn color</span></div>
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Zion National Park was experiencing an Indian Summer when I first arrived, with daytime temperatures still reaching into the mid-80s and everyone enjoying shorts and t-shirts weather. Unfortunately for some, that also meant that the brilliant fall colors that sometimes paint the canyon floor as early as September hadn't even begun to make an appearance for most of October. Not so this week!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the cool weather jacket is a most welcomed addition to my AiR uniform</span></div>
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Nighttime temperatures have now dipped down into the nippy range (and stay that way in the canyon shadows well into mid day.) And the leaves on the cottonwood trees are finally beginning to turn golds and yellows that luminesce in the bold afternoon sun.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">my workshop crew (with the afternoon sun now quickly retreating up the east wall) </span></div>
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On Friday, October 30, I held my free place-based journaling workshop in the Grotto picnic area and was thrilled at the over-booked (only slightly) turnout. Everyone received a complimentary Strathmore Softcover Toned journal and Sakura Gelly Roll and Micron Pigma pens (and two lucky participants received Sakura pen sets and pen cases as "door prizes.") The introductory workshop was originally scheduled to last only one hour but everyone was having so much fun (and both the scenery and the sun's warmth were so beckoning) that everyone stayed on for an extra hour and a half (leaving then only because the shadows, and the accompanying chill, had returned.)<br />
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I have established a very enjoyable and productive work schedule (if you can call this "work"): up at 5:30; draw, paint, write and edit in the studio until the sun comes up; and then (after breakfast and two cups of tea) out! Sometimes I return home for lunch, sometimes I just eat one of the MREs my wife purchased for me. (The high dessert air may have something to do with it. The scenery and the invigorating physical activity certainly do. But the food never fails to taste stupendous.) Home in time for afternoon tea; dinner; and then abed by 8:30 (although stargazing occasionally gives me a late-night energy boost.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the abundance and diversity of this high desert oasis' fauna is amazing</span></div>
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Now that I've settled in, I'm also being visited by some of my Grotto neighbors: the little Bluebird (above) popped by to say "Hi!" while I was waiting for the down-canyon shuttle this week; and on Saturday, as I walked into the kitchen for another cuppa tea, I thought to myself "That spot of dirt on my bike tire looks just like a lizard." Well.... (This is the second lizard now that has paid me a visit. I don't know what the kitchen's attraction is, but they're well behaved house guests so I don't mind.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">ten paces in hang a left and the trail comes out on the other side!</span></div>
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On Monday I spent some time exploring the Kayenta Trail to Lower Emerald Pool before taking the Emerald Pool Trail back to the Lodge and Grotto Trail back to the house (a leisurely 2-hour loop) -- and, of course, found some awesome subjects as the trail gradually took me above the river and tree line. Along the way I had a chat with a group of visitors from Spain, and spoke for awhile with one of the trail crews about the park's growing popularity and its impact its fragile desert eco-systems.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">one of the PAAI painters at work with an audience of visiting school kids</span></div>
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This week marks the annual Zion Plein Air Art Invitational and, for the first time since my arrival, I don't feel like the only painter in the park. (There have, of course, been other painters. But, in a park of this size, it has been easy to give one another plenty of working room.) The PAAI is an annual fundraising event for the Zion Natural History Association and is immensely popular with the public.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">watching these clouds as they drifted along the canyon walls was mesmerizing</span></div>
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For a change of pace we were treated to a gentle rain and swirling clouds that obscured the peaks (very reminiscent of Chinese landscapes) on Wednesday -- perfect weather for getting lots done in the studio, and drinking more tea. But, despite the inclement weather I was very pleased to speak to a near-full house during my PAAI lecture, where I spoke about being an art adventurer and what I was achieving during my residency in Zion NP.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was particularly pleased by the number and variety of questions following my PAAI presentation</span></div>
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One more week down, but I think the best one yet is still to come. So, I hope you'll join me again next time as my adventure in southern Utah continues. And, as always, thanks for letting me share it with you.Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-32606075299566368482015-11-07T11:13:00.000-08:002015-11-18T07:02:57.917-08:00Greetings from Mukuntuweap! (Week 2 in Zion NP)<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Mukuntuweap means “straight up land” and is the name given the canyon by its earliest Paiute inhabitants. It’s also the name of the National Monument first established in 1909. (The name was changed to Zion in 1918)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the view of Straight-Up-Land from partway up the Wiggles</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Wow, yet another week has zipped by! Half way through my stay already but (Oh, boy!) I’ve got some delightful work done already, I’ve identified enough subject matter to keep me busy for half a dozen residencies, and (with the arrival of autumn colors) things are only getting better!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Getting About</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Zion canyon is a parade of towering visual delights and, as you might imagine, the best way to explore is afoot. But, if you want to explore every nook and cranny of the canyon floor (and especially if you need to be able to reach a particular point of interest when the light is “just right”, you really need a means of transportation. The park is so popular, however, that touring the dead-ended Canyon Scenic Drive by private vehicle would be horrendous — resulting in gridlocked congestion, devastating air pollution, frayed nerves, and short tempers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the shuttle -- the easiest, most environmentally friendly way to view the canyon</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Fortunately, the Park Service has provided a brilliant alternative — free clean-burning, propane-powered shuttles that run from the Visitor Center at the South Entrance to the top of the canyon and back from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (with a new shuttle arriving at each stop every 8-15 minutes.) And Springdale operated its own free shuttles from the park’s south gate to the far end of town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">my "studio on wheels"</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And, if visitors want to explore the canyon floor between shuttle stops, they can load one of the Zion Green Bikes (or their own bike) onto the shuttle’s bike rack and get off at any of the 8 stops up and down the canyon. (On my first outing I rode the shuttle to the top of the canyon, and then slowly cruise down canyon, stopping as often as a new vista caught my eye.) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Weekly Wrap-up</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mornings begin around 5:30. (I’ve tried sleeping in once or twice but get so excited about the trails I want to hike, and places I want to explore, that getting back to sleep just isn’t going to happen.) First light comes around 7 and the top of the west canyon wall catches the first rays of the rising sun around 8. The canyon floor remains in shadow until noon and, being high desert, the temperature can easily climb 30-40 degrees between early morning and mid-day (and then drop again as much as the canyon moves into shadow in late afternoon. Dressing in layers(and carrying plenty of water) is the norm for a day on the trails or in the backcountry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: x-small;">late morning view from the W</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: x-small;">iggles (late afternoon is even better!)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The park’s high season officially ended with my first weekend here and, accordingly, the daily shuttle service I’ve raved about was scheduled to shift to weekends-only for the winter this past Monday (Oct. 26), with the Zion Scenic Drive then opened to what has historically been a reduced number of visitors. Unfortunately, the park continues to grow in popularity and there were literally hundreds of cars waiting to turn up the road at Canyon Junction on the first day of the “off season.” I stepped out my front door and was assailed by the pungent smell of car fumes for the first time in a week and a half. And, by 10 a.m. Scenic Drive had reached its 400 car capacity (the maximum number of vehicles that can be allowed up-road and still permit emergency vehicles to respond to calls up-canyon). Park officials had to remain on the canyon floor and try to cope with the flood of would-be visitors and the parking dilemma, but I had the option to escape and headed up Walter’s Wiggles to Angels Landing for some peace and quiet and fresh air. Both the hike and the destination were sublime delights, and everyone on top seemed to be all smiles. (Why not? After all, we were among the angels.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the west canyon wall illuminated by moonlight (go full screen and you should be able to see the stars)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_0d1orzs7zScMkMlr1zh3ui8u-EossJDgqfWHmSroWuOznn8WLSFym0AFPcVtVgGDTcWwMmccN95To_LI5dmu3urAhTzaR_N2DaiFRhuAK_gxJieHXHREBHFfBItbfPwAJXpbjHhPMg/s1600/5b.+IMG_6965_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_0d1orzs7zScMkMlr1zh3ui8u-EossJDgqfWHmSroWuOznn8WLSFym0AFPcVtVgGDTcWwMmccN95To_LI5dmu3urAhTzaR_N2DaiFRhuAK_gxJieHXHREBHFfBItbfPwAJXpbjHhPMg/s640/5b.+IMG_6965_dm.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">moonrise over my cottage</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To compound the traffic problem there was a brilliant full moon Monday night, so visitors could easily walk about the canyon floor after moonrise without the need for artificial lights. (In fact, the moonlight was so bright that everything in the canyon cast shadows and everything from the canyon walls themselves to the cottonwood leaves on the ground were clearly visible.) I blissfully recorded the amazing experience with camera and tripod, but had dozens of park visitors for company. And the Grotto parking lot (which had been empty for the past week and a half) had vehicles coming and going till midnight!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By Tuesday evening it was clear to park officials that the problem of overcrowding was not going to dissipate soon and contingency funds were found to reinstate the shuttles beginning Wednesday morning and continue the service till November 8, when it will return to weekend-only through Thanksgiving. (Hopefully, the visitor counts will be down by then.) </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">New Tools </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After I’ve identified a particularly interesting subject during “scouting outings” this year I’m using a few new digital tools to help me determine the best time of day to paint or sketch it, and to enable me to navigate back to the exact vantage point when the time is right.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IW99mUqBx4xao2GeCnpzmndvN-idFQowZ0uj4LKSnFi9ZBSu6ornAKYQ80pf-gipMyxiQDBHOWk99TDN2aDaq0ApimUXA8cWRWlOvXzvIQVvZ6w807vK9wcPxQDfCyr21_55vVn6vXA/s1600/6.+Screenshot_2015-10-28-13-29-45_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6IW99mUqBx4xao2GeCnpzmndvN-idFQowZ0uj4LKSnFi9ZBSu6ornAKYQ80pf-gipMyxiQDBHOWk99TDN2aDaq0ApimUXA8cWRWlOvXzvIQVvZ6w807vK9wcPxQDfCyr21_55vVn6vXA/s400/6.+Screenshot_2015-10-28-13-29-45_dm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; letter-spacing: 0px;">Theodolite -- this is the digital version of a traditional </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">surveyor's tool; great for gathering details about subjects and vantage points. (And helpful in navigating back to them.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd4Yzp4klnbBnKwHDzKXdd66pUkorj7bMVVffIc6h7aemuxnmS1u2iarEZGSVOBysCmH0zCVr1YcGjxP1Hkha_NOdVpKDp15uZFRnCn8zTHZmzc71At24ydLdybJNrh_vVz8v5psgXwI/s1600/7.+Screenshot_2015-10-28-13-30-53_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd4Yzp4klnbBnKwHDzKXdd66pUkorj7bMVVffIc6h7aemuxnmS1u2iarEZGSVOBysCmH0zCVr1YcGjxP1Hkha_NOdVpKDp15uZFRnCn8zTHZmzc71At24ydLdybJNrh_vVz8v5psgXwI/s400/7.+Screenshot_2015-10-28-13-30-53_dm.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">GPS Essentials -- this app is chock full of useful features (but could use more tutorials for novices.) I especially like this customizable dashboard.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalVica434TbEiGEd8m2RqoY_US37Zejt2pq7xnCy-Io9CuxN00X-1I0UlOt5heaQ7nZtmKBi8GBXBHoqnCB1DP4an8R8dMhz5lmlM7nOoObs_vZqrqhrYLkSFRmbo-_2tW0S_uI-qD3U/s1600/8.+Screenshot_2015-10-28-12-44-35_dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhalVica434TbEiGEd8m2RqoY_US37Zejt2pq7xnCy-Io9CuxN00X-1I0UlOt5heaQ7nZtmKBi8GBXBHoqnCB1DP4an8R8dMhz5lmlM7nOoObs_vZqrqhrYLkSFRmbo-_2tW0S_uI-qD3U/s400/8.+Screenshot_2015-10-28-12-44-35_dm.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">BackCountry Navigator -- is great for visualizing waypoints on a map (and for putting names to the landmarks you're looking at.) You can even specify which map system you wish to utilize. (I've used USGS here.) </span></div>
Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-9933461706699369512015-10-24T12:59:00.000-07:002015-10-24T12:59:30.789-07:00Sunshine, Thunderstorms, and Flash Floods -- Oh My! (Week 1 in Zion)<div style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My apologizes for the tardiness in getting my first Zion post online but, as I’m sure you can imagine, I’ve been very slow to take time away from exploring and art making to sit in front of a computer screen (and can only do it for brief periods before once again surrounding myself to the call of the wild.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">yea, I was disappointed too when they didn't give me a ranger hat </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My drive to "work" took three days and covered parts of four states... and was marvelous! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMLS5plsJNUrzmE9b5_sbsTdoXxLqdZJkcggNSbI9Jm2m9ISm6ImZEpezNZrBQnoqqdJUIodt-nVkacoLQ0UTLDR5obP4pN2oCxdiNcqP3qwixDNX6t87IGY2O-uvZjkR4-2W0_jzNWk/s1600/Ft+Worth+to+Albuquerque+Map.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMLS5plsJNUrzmE9b5_sbsTdoXxLqdZJkcggNSbI9Jm2m9ISm6ImZEpezNZrBQnoqqdJUIodt-nVkacoLQ0UTLDR5obP4pN2oCxdiNcqP3qwixDNX6t87IGY2O-uvZjkR4-2W0_jzNWk/s400/Ft+Worth+to+Albuquerque+Map.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the <u>long</u> drive</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 1 was the longest, and most stressful (last minute double checking to avoid arriving at our destination only to discover something vital was left on the dining room table) although the stress usually gives way to euphoria within an hour of leaving home. The drive from Fort Worth to Albuquerque over rolling woodlands, through table-flat cotton country, and into Texas high desert scrub country. In New Mexico we passed through Billy the Kid country before we joining I-40 for the nighttime run into Albuquerque (with some very decorative lighting effects along the roadway and on overpasses.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 2 had us awaking to the high desert scenery of the city... and discovering an unexpected classic car collection right across the street from our hotel.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIRnTq59m7GxnJXjtJpTIo6gKpuceQV9sImocjHb2PHPPy6c3xNFvlzj4zEiTYMLSf3whwctw0ZeuiqtxiTV19MzYUMZO_REBrHKxNW18xNnvpeLTx425xwZ3zZX1ZDQoLCcq-QTrQeQ/s1600/IMG_5940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIRnTq59m7GxnJXjtJpTIo6gKpuceQV9sImocjHb2PHPPy6c3xNFvlzj4zEiTYMLSf3whwctw0ZeuiqtxiTV19MzYUMZO_REBrHKxNW18xNnvpeLTx425xwZ3zZX1ZDQoLCcq-QTrQeQ/s200/IMG_5940.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdi3QBh66e9qkkk8pOxfn6NtTgHsvOC3n72JDxG1CX-SkHrVFvSior5ERkH38v4d87eopyCqws6fi2tuJBjkl_M5k9ZpfX2bqY3h3gYitAqu76oGRaC-JJk3l4P-F2sXwNe6u85wpSwo/s1600/IMG_5943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdi3QBh66e9qkkk8pOxfn6NtTgHsvOC3n72JDxG1CX-SkHrVFvSior5ERkH38v4d87eopyCqws6fi2tuJBjkl_M5k9ZpfX2bqY3h3gYitAqu76oGRaC-JJk3l4P-F2sXwNe6u85wpSwo/s200/IMG_5943.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I can imagine either one of these as a studio-on-wheels (altho' the Stutz won't carry as much)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Albuquerque to Flagstaff had us skirting the edge of the Four Corners area Indian Nations with their beautiful desert landscapes and sparsely populated vastness.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqDA4RZrU6KxT-RmocdHV24uWHV5r4DEx67d1JJv4XtZoI2OUe7TY4c28wORt-LHQmldWJ_yzgo31TUg8ikaWoZK3lf-dfXQqIbHhQii5qKkyfqRMsgu_5gmcIzUJujfyMfNiUXCkT7w/s1600/IMG_5994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvqDA4RZrU6KxT-RmocdHV24uWHV5r4DEx67d1JJv4XtZoI2OUe7TY4c28wORt-LHQmldWJ_yzgo31TUg8ikaWoZK3lf-dfXQqIbHhQii5qKkyfqRMsgu_5gmcIzUJujfyMfNiUXCkT7w/s400/IMG_5994.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Arrival in Flagstaff was another after dark event, though much earlier than that into Albuquerque had been.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the last leg (up hill all the way)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 3 had us awakening in a mountain forest, descending through scrubland hills, and entering first the flat and then canyon country of the northern Arizona Navajo peoples.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">my son's first cross-country drive (no extra charge for the mountain roads)</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After passing through Page (and skirting briefly the edge of what I think is the most picturesque lake in America — Lake Powell) we began a series of climbs. The most notable began just after the Highway 89A turn off and was marked by a breathtaking turnout, where we stopped for the amazing views… and the kids ended up purchasing handcrafted jewelry from the four venders who maintained stalls within sight of their homes on the plain below.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr7E8vJjmBQ1agKrfc6RSN2lHGDASVLDQzBRCoc7i7wJ6myNFq7j7muU2-b2C7oaTe1-Joqns8Xyp7lZmwIGCaIZsbTRsvd2RdJFzowM9txd6sXkDXe3t2YwxEqs7pP-dCBPi5te_HgU/s1600/IMG_6119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFr7E8vJjmBQ1agKrfc6RSN2lHGDASVLDQzBRCoc7i7wJ6myNFq7j7muU2-b2C7oaTe1-Joqns8Xyp7lZmwIGCaIZsbTRsvd2RdJFzowM9txd6sXkDXe3t2YwxEqs7pP-dCBPi5te_HgU/s400/IMG_6119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">shopping for jewelry on a mountainside was a delightfully serendipitous event</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After the turnoff onto Route 9 at Mt. Carmel Junction we drove through rolling farm and ranch land before entering Zion NP through the east gate. Then came the amusement par ride: a mile-long tunnel that was so dark (no interior lighting) that I thought my headlights may have been burned out, followed by the most picturesque series of switchbacks I’ve ever driven in the US. Delightful!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">beginning the switchback descent into the canyon</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Met Gustava Hotskins, the park’s acting AiR Coordinator at the Human History Museum, received my White Pass (for driving a private car above Canyon Junction), got checked into the Grotto House, and dropped off all my gear.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At this point (thanks to the discovery of two folding cots in the house) the original plan for Misha and the kids to make the drive back to Flagstaff for the night was scrapped and we drove into Springdale for a very enjoyable patio dinner, followed by a visit to the Sol Market to stock up on provisions for my stay.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And, because the return to Flagstaff was cancelled and we found ourselves returning to the Grotto House after dark, we were able to come to the aid of a couple who were out on the no-lights Canyon Road after dark with no lights of their own… and having missed the last shuttle back into Springdale. After dropping off my groceries, wife and daughter, my son and I gave the couple a lift back to their hotel And, en route, learned that they had lost track of time during their climb to Angels Landing… when he stopped to propose to her. Thankfully, by the time we dropped them off the stress of trying to make their way in the dark had given way to relief and laughter and, hopefully, a memorable story to tell their grandchildren. (She said, “Yes.”)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">our last photo together till my crew returns for me</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 4 began with me seeing the family off to California and then I was out and about exploring — mouth agape at the shear beauty and vertical scale of my new surroundings. It seemed that, no matter which way I turned, there was a breathtaking scape to be captured on paper or panel!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">the Pa'rus Trail between the Visitors Center and Canyon Junction</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 5 — up well before dawn and work began in earnest. (What, you didn’t think I was going to work that in somewhere?) The canyons are a non-stop series of vistas. But, as a general rule, those on the west wall are going to be best lit in the morning while those on the east wall will be most dramatic in the afternoon. And some views — like the Watchman and the range south of Canyon Junction — are best during the “golden hour” just before sunset. So, I am out: identifying subjects I most want to sketch and paint, determining their compass bearing from my chosen vantage point, identifying nearby geological formations that may cast unwanted (or desirable) shadows, and determining the best time of day to capture the scene on paper or panel.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 6 — more scouting and mapping this morning — first on the river near the house and then up canyon. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To minimize pollution, and curtail traffic congestion, in the canyon Zion NP and the town of Springdale have implemented two free shuttle systems — one running from the park entrance to the top end of the canyon, and one running from the bottom end of town to the park entrance. Add to that the bicycle the Park Service has provided my during my stay and I’m free to explore and discover every subject and vantage point on the canyon floor.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Popped down to the Lodge to introduce myself and to log onto their wifi (The folks at the Zion Lodge have kindly offered me VIP access to their wifi network for the duration of my stay so that I might get these weekly posts out to you.) and then hiked the half mile Grotto Trail back to the house to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. (It echoes majestically off the canyon walls and seems to go on forever.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I reached the house the sunny sky went dark and, within 10 minutes, the bottom fell out as a torrent of rain cascaded into the canyon… punctuated at the end by a hailstorm that peppered my windows and left the Grotto area carpeted in white. The surrounding canyon walls also sprang a dozen or so (in this area alone) new waterfalls with torrents cascading the 2000 feet or so to the canyon floor. It was all so exhilarating! (Of course, when a second storm struck in the middle of the night and I could hear the roar of the river — but couldn’t </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;">see</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> the river’s edge — “exhilarating” was no longer the descriptive that came to mind.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">hard water?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Day 7 — the first week has flown by! I’ve discovered and experienced so very much already, with so much more yet to come. The summer warmth, with temperatures in the mid 80s, that greeted us has given way to fall temperatures that begin the day in the 50s. The sky alternates between brief glimpses of sunshine and overcast. But the morning is dry and OK for exploring (as long as I take my rain gear long, just in case.) And the afternoon showers are moderate. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Up and down the canyon maintenance crews are out in force clearing the roads, trails (and lodge parking lot) of the red, clay-like residue of yesterday’s runoff. And I’m busy on yet another study, and enjoying a nice culpa tea.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, PS, if any of you are going to be in Zion NP on Friday, Oct. 30, please join us at the Grotto picnic area at 3pm for a free Sketchbooking and Place-Based Journaling Workshop (Strathmore sketchbooks and Sakura pens included.) Hope to see you there!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">NOTE: Future posts from Zion are likely to be briefer as I intend to spend more time afield. But I think you’ll find the content, and especially the images, interesting. Cheers!</span></div>
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Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5352468416280701294.post-38871862791537030102015-10-05T12:42:00.002-07:002015-10-05T13:52:04.284-07:00Sunflowers, Rain Lilies and False Thistles (The Final Zion Prep Update)<div style="text-align: left;">
8 days and counting! (In fact, between packing and traveling, things could get so busy that this may be the last prep post. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">thumbnail comp, graphite on Bloc Rhodia No. 13</span></div>
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Took some time out from all of the Zion prep for a week-long celebration of my daughter's sixteenth birthday. (Oh, they grow up so-o-o fast!) And then, to commemorate the momentous occasion, I knocked out an oil sketch of her tinted sunflowers as a little keepsake for her.<br />
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<i><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kate's Sunflowers</span></u></i><span style="font-size: x-small;">, 8"x6", Gamblin oils on Ampersand Gessobord</span></div>
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The weather is finally beginning to hint at autumn (at least at night, right around dawn, and in the evenings... mid-day? not so much.) And my hikes are becoming longer, and slower (which also means I'm getting to look, and perceive, more.)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><u>Day Lilies</u></i>, journal entry, w/c over pen & ink, Clairefontaine <i>Douceur de l'ecriture</i></span></div>
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During one of these morning walks I paused to study a patch of rain lilies. At first glance I got the impression that the three-chambered seed pod grew out of the flower as both stood the same height above ground (pretty much the way a squash develops between the stem and the flower.) But, on more careful study I observed that there was a joint half way down the stem from the flower (with the upper stem segment telescoping out of the lower segment.) And, after evaluating several other flowers I reached the conclusion that -- after the flower has bloomed -- the lower stem continues to grow in height as the upper stem segment and flower begin to gradually wither and shrink. As the lower segment reaches the original height of the flower its tip begin to swell and the seed pod becomes visible. At full maturity the upper stem has dwindled to a short, string-like thread and the flower has all but disappeared. Fascinating!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">False Purple Thistle (<i>Eryngium leavenworthii</i>) -- an indigenous plant popular with native bees,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">w/c over pen & ink, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Clairefontaine </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Douceur de l'ecriture</span></i></div>
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Then, later in the week (while out on one of my endurance hikes) I came across what I thought, at first, was some kind of purple thistle -- except it wasn't like any thistle I'd encountered before. The head was reminiscent of Scottish thistle (or, my wife said, a tiny purple pineapple) and the leaves were decidedly thistle-like. (The phrase "razor wire" comes to mind.) But the dry, woody stems were completely devoid of spines and easy to hold barehanded.<br />
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Nature is such a delight to behold when we simply learn how to slow down and open up to the wonders it offers us! I feel like a kid in the candy store (or John Muir in the mountains.)<br />
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Oh, one last note; the Park Service and I hope to offer two free journaling workshops during my residency (one toward the end of October, the other in early November.) So, if you're going to find yourself in the area and would like to join me for some nature sketching/travel journaling, check with the Zion National Park Visitor Center or stay tuned for updated details here.<br />
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Cheers!Earnest Wardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11529833719220544499noreply@blogger.com0