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"Pelicans
Rising"
One of the most beautiful spots on
earth is near Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the Grand Teton National
Park. I've visited there off and on since the late 1950's.
During the early 1960's I was an alpine ski racer and raced both on
Snow King Mountain (in Jackson) and on the newly opened Teton Pass.
Now that I am a geezer I don't ski much so, my more recent visits to
Jackson are more cerebral and aesthetically oriented.
Since I have been represented by
Horizon Fine Art in Jackson Hole, I have been visiting more
frequently to explore the area to generate ideas and capture images
for use in future paintings. Recently, I took a series of
photos of the Oxbow Bend area-- a looping meander of the Snake River
near Jackson Lake, with Mt. Moran in the background. Oxbow Bend is
one of my favorite places. I have visited it several times
over the years. An amazing variety of wildlife flourishes in Grand
Teton National Park, including pelicans, elk, moose and just about
every other animal found in North America. So, how can I resist the
temptation to paint the area? I can't.
I began "Pelicans Rising" in 2007
finishing April 2008. I didn't decide to put in the pelicans
and elk until I was nearly done with the painting. Glad I did!
It took 205 hours to paint.
I will be doing more paintings from the area! Any
excuse to visit the area.
I particularly liked working in a
different color palette than what I use in my red rock art. It was
nice looking at cool colors rather than the warm colors I usually
use. Grand Teton National Park is truly astonishing. If you
haven't seen it, you owe yourself a visit! |
