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Painting the "Road to Sedona"
"This painting came about from a trip to Sedona, Arizona in Oct of
2005. My friend Jean and I were on the road to Sedona from the
south having come from Scottsdale. It was a gorgeous morning with
big clouds rolling in from the west. I stopped the car several
times and hiked off the road and shot dozens of pictures–The air
was clean, brisk and fragrant with desert smells. The ground still
sparkled with dew–I couldn't get enough!
When
I returned to my Salt Lake City studio I uploaded my photos onto
my computer where they languished for 18 +- months until I could
begin work on the panoramic painting I had in mind. When finally I
began reviewing my photos I discovered that I had captured a crow
(I think) in one of my shots, perfectly positioned for a
painting. The dramatic sky, the bird, the magic of the desert
were too much for me I had to paint it! working from multiple
photos and a couple of sketches, I began on 8/23/06 and finished
on 3/7/07— 125 Hours later.
I
chose a panoramic image on a small 6"x 21" panel with the idea of
generating various "Road to Sedona" giclée print versions
in different sizes. I added considerable detail to the original
painting to make this work. Each size reveals something of my
technique. By the time you get to 40+ inches in height (the
original painting is 6"), the print has become impressionistic in
style. The panoramic format lends itself to very large
giclée prints e.g., 4' x 15'. I would like to install one of
these monster prints in a long hall or a large room–have it wrap
around a corner or two. It would feel like you are looking out a
massive set of windows."
R. Geoffrey Blackburn
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