Back in 1989 Dad and I were in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at an art show. Jimmy Bama on the left and John Clymer on the right. Next to Jimmy is my father Harold, then myself and in the background is Ted Feeley. We are talking about "secret art stuff"!
The Hole in the Rock-Another View
The exciting story of the Pioneers who went from Utah to Arizona and carved a trail down a steep cliff called The Hole in the Rock is being published in a book written by Gerald Lund, called "The Undaunted" published by Deseret Book. I've read short versions about those people but am looking forward to the new book. Gerald Lund is a historian that is a viusal artists dream. He gives us descriptions of how things looked. Remember, Gerald Lund is the best selling author of "The Work and The Glory" series. I think his book is a best seller, but don't you think it would have been an even bigger hit with this cover?
Hole In The Rock-Plunging Down
A few years ago Fred and Debbie Woods of Mesa, Arizona commissioned me to paint a large painting representing some of Debbie's pioneer ancestors who were called by Brigham Young to leave Utah and move to Arizona to farm and create communities. In 1879 250 men, women, and children, with 80 wagons and 1,000 head of cattle, traveled with teams of horses in a wagon train until they came to the vertical red cliffs of Glen Canyon. There was a small cleft in a sheer cliff and it took 6 weeks of picking, chiseling, drilling, blasting, and digging and hauling dirt to construct an almost impossible steep path down to the Colorado River 1200 feet below.
I drove from Mesa, Arizona north to Page, Kanab, Utah and finally Escalante, Utah before taking my small rental car on a 50 mile dirt road south to actually see The Hole In The Rock. It was winter and some dark clouds were on the horizon and some local folks told me the little car probably would not be able to make the whole trip. I went about 30 miles until I came upon an extremely muddy area of the road. I continued about a mile and could see two things; I could easily get stuck, and if I did I would probably spend the rest of my would be short life on that road as the clouds had begun to close over and were delivering the beginnings of a serious snow storm. I turned around. It's a good thing I didn't have a four wheel drive vehicle as I would have been foolish enough to try the road. Even a four wheel drive vehicle would have gotten stuck.
On the way back to Kanab I painted a couple of sketches of the area and indeed, the snow began to get pretty heavy.
Back at my studio I did some research and found several photographs of different views of The Hole in The Rock. Gathering models (my son-in-law, and some other young men) I plowed into the painting showing the wagons plunging down the trail being held back by men holding ropes.
It is a story of people with true grit and sand (fortitude and determination). Soon I'll tell you about a new book coming out that tells this exciting saga.
Summer Pastures
A family that lived in St. George, Utah from its beginnings in the 1860s, used to take their animals north into the mountains as the summer came on. Everyone, including the critters seemed to thrive and enjoy the cooler climate and good mountain air.
Far Away Mountain
Sometimes it is fun to take a large canvas and paint on location. This painting, FAR AWAY MOUNTAIN was painted on a ranch near Big Sky, Montana. As a dramatic cloud was pouring down the mountain behind the old log house, I put a 24 x 36 inch canvas on my small travel easel and began slapping paint. Two hours later the canvas was covered with paint. I liked the forlorn feeling of the scene and yet I wanted to give it something more; a little more life and a little more interest. When I got back to the studio I added the wash on the line and the young wife and child looking down the valley waiting for her man to return. It seemed to be the right touch.
The Night Stage
When the full moon is riding high in the late night sky I am just amazed at the beauty and softness of the colors. Every so often I'll make an attempt to capture that night time luminescence. The Night Stage is one of those efforts.