Wandering in the Desert

The Grand Canyon had been my goal destination for most of ever. We had made it there and my creative inclinations are still wandering there. So much painting I want to get caught up on. My mind paints all night in my dreams as I wander the canyon til morning starts a new day. However, my days have been filled with existing.

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So often after a dream has come true one wanders aimlessly. But that was only

a part of our wanderings. We still had places we wanted to see. As the fates would have we had our financial means cut by 70 percent. Our travels needed to take us somewhere hopefully where Jon could find a teaching positon. May sound easy but we were victims of this great recession. Jon had been trying for the past 2 years to find somewhere to teach. Everwhere we traveled we looked for work.

So after a spectacular sunset at the Moose in Bullhead City, we headed southward during the night while it was cooler.

Like the road runner in the photo, resting at the outside cafe of an Italian resturant in Bullhead City, AZ, we needed to hit the road. Instead of heading on to Vegas, Yosmite and Yellowstone we headed south to Interstate 10 and wherever ...

Just as with the rising sun the terrain changed as the day went on. Still moutains everywhere. Cactus were more present. More varieties...more like in the cowboy movies. There were random palm tree and then fields of produce networked by irrigation ditches. More inspiration for painting!

We have a destination! We were not destined to wander for 40 years in a circle. Nor would we go back to Florida yet. We were headed for Tubac, AZ. to Danny and Jiffs home and RV park...the Flying W Ranch!

Painting the Grand Canyon

Still painting the canyon. I have so many photos...still feel there is so much painting to do. I have started more, as the example in the first photo.

We have set down temperary roots in Tubac, AZ. Desert life I have found very peaceful and healing. Taking advantage of some down time with good friends to get some painting done. I feel I need to do more canyon views, painted desert teepees, and the petrified forest. The goal is to paint every day.

I have titled this painting (16X20 gallery wrapped canvas) Brighty's View. This is near the head of the Bright Angel Trail. I imagine this was a view familiar to Brighty the mule in the book,"Brighty of the Grand Canyon" by Marguerite Henry. I have wanted to see the Grand Canyon since I read the book in second grade.

The next 2 paintings (each 12 x 12 square gallery wrapped canvases to be hung side by side) are titled Cousins at The Canyon. These paintings were hard for me emotionally but I am pleased with the results. While my cousin Nance, in a hospital in Florida, talked to me on the phone, that her sister Jenny held for her, I promised the sisters each a painting of the canyon. Nance never recovered from the stroke but I wanted to do the paintings anyway. Jenny's painting the first one to be hung on the left side contains she and I waving...not easy to spot but we are there. The second painting to be placed on the right has an angel Nance in the clouds above the canyon. The two paintings join together with the Bright Angel Trail area centered between them.

The photos are different sizes but the canvases are the same size and are meant to be hung so that the horizon line is even, the last photo shows this .