Thinking about Utah

The Bridge Over It

The other evening my wife suggested I vacate the house and go to my studio (some call it the Man Room) as she was having a friend over to do Reflexology.  So, like the dutiful husband that I am, I retired to my room and proceeded to do the pastel you see above.  (It doesn't take much arm bending to get me into my sanctuary)  I prepared the support for this piece using quite a bit of marble dust and a dark toned acrylic paint, using a ragged old brush that some might throw in the garbage. You can judge the scale of this natural wonder by comparing the size of the trees below to the natural bridge above. The impetus for the picture came from reminiscing about last Falls road trip to the beautiful state of Utah, in particular the southern half where we encountered the most amazing vistas.  The sandstone arches are totally mind boggling and inquisitively wonderus (my own word).  This Fall Michael, Crystal and I are going to Oregon and California, following the coast all the way down.  I am very attracted to water, being a Cancer, so this should be a fabulous trip.

Arches National Park, Utah

Arches National Park, in south eastern Utah, is the first place Crystal, Michael and I camped after a long drive from Everett, WA. We were all enthralled with the geography and were anxious to start hiking the area. There are many great walks to go on there, one of our favorites was a place called the "Devils Playground", which is where this watercolour was painted. We spent almost two days there and then moved on to Bryce Canyon.