Art in Arizona | Part 2
Vermilion Cliffs
Vermilion Cliffs
For part 1 of my trip start here.
After the workshop was over, it was time to head 4hrs north to the Vermilion Cliffs for several days of painting. I drove alone in my rental car past Sedona, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, with music and my thoughts keeping me company.
The shift in the landscape was mesmerizing. The wide open spaces were a refreshing contrast from the busy suburban life back home. I could see for miles and as I neared my final destination the oranges, pinks and purples within the rocky landscape intensified. I stopped alongside the road multiple times to fire my camera in all directions.
New Friend
I was nearing my final destination of the drive and decided to pull over for one more barrage of photos. As I was packing up, a new friend I recently made during the workshop arrived by happenstance. She’s a designer and artist from Colorado around my age. I admire her sense of adventure and she is genuine and fun to talk to. We decided to fit in a painting before sunset and drove to the Navajo Interpretive Center nearby. Other than the natural beauty and vibrant sunset, it’s the complete silence of the desert that stands out in my memory. That, and our many little chipmunk friends who kept us company.
Capturing Color
The goal for my painting studies was to gather color notes, not end up with ready-to-frame paintings. I decided to use tape to divide the surface of large panels so I could accommodate multiple studies.
The Vermilion Cliffs are like nowhere I’ve ever been. The rich orange and red hues of the landscape are much different than the predominately green Pacific Northwest I’m used to. Along with the colors, the sheer scale of the cliffs left me in awe and feeling humbled. There were many house-sized rocks that had broken apart from the cliff and settled on the desert floor. Over time the soil wore away underneath the rocks and now they appear like precariously-balanced monolithic mushrooms.
It was a joy to once again paint with Aimee Erickson and Eric Jacobsen, instructors/friends which I’ve studied from while in Oregon. One of my favorite moments was when the wind picked up and toppled over my plein air kit, sending my paint-covered paper towels scurrying across the desert. Eric and I chased them, laughing uncontrollably. It felt impossible at the time, but we gathered them all, leaving no trace. Another instructor, Mitch Baird, said that while we were running around we were nearly enveloped in a large dust cloud. You never know what’s going to happen when you’re plein air painting!
Meaningful Conversations
One of my favorite parts about painting trips is meeting new people. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and experiences but we are all drawn together through art. Our instructors kindly invited us to their rental house for evenings of conversation, food and wine. I heard stories from adventures around the world, people working with horses, experiences in hospice, dirt biking, tales of previous painting trips and how the pandemic impacted everyone. After two years of isolation, being in a room full of wonderful people is something I won’t ever take for granted.
My time at the Vermilion Cliffs was remarkable and Arizona truly impacted my life. I feel so fortunate that I was able to be there and experience the kind of moments I had hoped for. There is nothing quite like being in a remote location surrounded by beauty and kind people.
Heading Home
It’s always a little bittersweet to say goodbye to a new place I love and people I enjoy. But apparently I left at just the right time and avoided a record dust and snow storm. While heading back to Phoenix my car was pelted with numerous tumble weeds as the heavy winds picked up. I later learned that two of my instructors, who had stayed behind to paint for several more days, found themselves in Flagstaff with a blown tire in a foot of snow.
I love traveling, though I don’t board planes as often as I’d like. I enjoy reliving my journeys through the photos I captured and as I paint in my studio. And after my visit to Arizona, I have so much I want to paint!