Iconic Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s the highest peak in the Phoenix Mountain range. It’s also proof that people, even the early settlers to this land, cannot resist the temptation to give names to familiar shapes. Clouds look like puppies, bears and pigs and mountains look like cathedrals, bells, and camels.
View from along Bumble Bee road.
Pencil, 5 x 7 in.
Piestewa Peak, 2608 feet (795 meters), second highest peak in the Phoenix Mountains. Its name honors Lori Ann Piestewa, the first Native American woman in U.S. history to die in combat while serving with the military (Iraq, 2003).
Going nuts with work. Grab sketch gear. Grab water. Drive to end of earth.
Okay, maybe not THE end, but close enough. I found a dirt road that was suitable only for my jeep: Rocks, very narrow in places with occasional steep drop offs to one side of the jeep or the other. Cool. It’s been too long since my jeep and I have enjoyed the solitude of a remote trail. There were not any recent tire tracks from other vehicles. Nice. It was scenic, but not dramatically pretty. The road is used by the Forest Service to fight fires and by the power company to service large power transmission towers. There were also signs of bird hunting (spent shotgun shells). Still, it was quiet and off the beaten path. My jeep thanked me for getting it off pavement. I drew its portrait, then drove home, refreshed.
FYI: That’s Superstition Mountains and Weaver’s Needle in the distance.
Happy Trails
Finally, an oil painting. This is a view of the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix.
Busy preparing classes and teaching. Result: Drawing has slowed considerably; oil painting has essentially stopped. Temporary but necessary. I draw outside as much as I can, but we are having an “Indian Summer” in Scottsdale with above normal temps for late September. I just finished this drawing. It’s 5:30pm and 109◦F (almost 43◦ C). Good thing I was next to the pool. 🙂 I will pick up the outdoor drawing when the average daytime temps fall below 100 (38C).
I’m running behind. I finished Superstition Mountain then 80 million things happened. Ok. Ok. Not 80 million, only 30 million. I will not post the paintings until all four are finished. Do you want to see Superstition Mountain? Then join me at Village Coffee Roastery this Saturday about 9:ooam. ( 8120 Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, Arizona). Until Saturday, enjoy this sunset scene from Ironwood National Monument in Northwest of Tucson. This trip was with some artist friends from Jerome in 2004. I have been coming here since 1971 and have spent one-hundred or more days and nights in this area. This trip was memorable for the number of young desert tortoises. I counted about six. That is six more than I’ve seen here, ever. Wonderful news. I also met one rather upset diamondback rattlesnake. I inquired as to the reason for his or her problem, but an answer was not forthcoming.
