Thompson Peak near sunset. Northeast of Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s about 4,000ft (1,200m). This view is near my house. The map shows a jeep trail up the back side. Sounds like it’s time for a road trip. Many of these old roads are closed or blocked these days. I might have to go open it. Fun! Stay tuned.
It’s true, and I’m working on a third mountain. I work out at my local YMCA to stay in shape.
Thankfully, the mountains are small, 8 by 10 inches. They are part of my new project: A tribute to Phoenix mountains.
The project did not start as “a project”. It grew out of a visit to the Phoenix Art Museum. I looked at the buildings near the museum. I have painted many buildings in many cities in the world. I wondered if there were any Phoenix buildings I should paint. I really hate to look for things to paint, but I threw caution to the wind and began a series of short-range travels around Phoenix, searching for interesting scenes that defined Phoenix, and the larger metropolitan area.
Driving from one end of metro Phoenix to the other is not easy. Roads and highways go up, down, and around many hills and mountains. Then it struck me. The mountains around Phoenix define the city. They influence roads, city and neighborhood boundaries, the location and orientation of buildings, parks, and golf courses, property values, and more. Yet, they are often taken for granted by many of us who live here.
A project was born. I picked some of the better-known mountain peaks to begin the project: Piestewa, Camelback, and Superstition. More will follow. I welcome suggestions. The paintings are done in oil. Piestewa and Camelback are finished. Superstition is in progress. Artists debate the value of showing incomplete work, but this project began by throwing caution to the wind, so here is Superstition as it is at the moment. It will look different by the end of today.
The exhibition features ten artists from all across Arizona. I suggest a visit if you are passing through the airport. The exhibit space is out of the way in Terminal 3 (behind Starbucks), but worth locating. The artists represent a good sample of contemporary Arizona regional painters.
Location: Terminal 3, Level 2, Garage cases (4), Through Sept. 26, 2010
Phoenix Airport Art Collection: Sky Harbor art museum
On vacation in the Arizona Desert.
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy.
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry.
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely.
Sunshine almost always makes me high.
I have spent lots of days and nights (easily 200+) in the desert around this mountain when I worked as an undergraduate field assistant at the University of Arizona Mammal Museum. It is Ragged Top, at the northern end of the Silverbell Mountains, northwest of Tucson, Arizona. The desert here is very lush, with just about every plant and animal species in the Sonoran Desert ecosystem.
I assisted graduate students with live-trapping and measuring and then releasing wild desert mice to study their populations. On cold nights the mice would get torpid if they spent too much time above ground in a trap (torpid: a state of suspended/sluggish physical activity, like hibernation). We would carry them in our pockets until they warmed up, then put them back near where they came from. I could tell they were coming back to life when I felt them moving around in my shirt and pants pockets!
200+ traps were spread out in the square shape, which made about a 5 mile walk. I remember checking the traps one very dark night, alone. At one point I heard noises around me. My heart started beating a bit faster. Then I heard a hushed “yip”, a sharp, high pitched bark. I was surrounded by coyotes. An unsettling, but not frightening situation once I realized they were coyotes; mountain lions live here, too. They became quiet. The “yip” probably came from an inexperienced youngster. I could hear them running around on both sides of me. They moved when I walked, and stopped when I stopped. I could only catch an occasional glimpse. They stayed just beyond the reach of my headlamp. How many? I didn’t know. At least 3 or 4 for sure. They were with me for a good distance. I think they were hoping that I would drop a mouse. Just in case, I carefully put each mouse near a hole. Oh, and then there were snakes …
Dusk. My sister’s backyard. Media: Pencil, compressed charcoal, conte. 5.5″x9.0″
Wow. I’ve been away too long, from painting and this blog. Last post was a photo of me on Lost Dog Trail. It’s near my home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Below are three drawings from yesterday’s hike. I must admit I do not hike very far because of the time it takes me to draw. My focus was on hiking so I stopped briefly to sketch and added color later. I don’t like to do that, but I wanted to walk a little.
I drew with a new compressed graphic stick (very cool) and added the color later. It can make narrow and wide lines. I experimented with different color media on each piece. I used combinations of ink, colored pencils, marker, and watercolor.
