Description | Size | Price |
Oil on Linen |
24 x 32 in (61 x 81.3 cm) | Sold |
Custom sizes and formats available contact: rgeoffrey@rgeoffrey.com
"Temple Mountain"
"This was another commission I painted for the
legendary adventurer, balloonist and mining magnate,
Maxie
Anderson. The first commission was a winter scene
entitled "Bryce Canyon". Maxie was the Owner and CEO of Rancher's Exploration and
Development Corporation of Albuquerque, New Mexico. I met Maxie
through his chief geologist Dave Fitch. I had proposed a
parcel of mining claims to Ranchers and Dave was sent to
check out the geology. Actually, Dave and I had several such
encounters and on one of these, having found out that I also
was an artist, he mentioned that Maxie had an amazing art
collection at the Ranchers headquarters. Dave arranged for
me to meet Maxie who was sufficiently impressed to
commission this and another painting. Subsequently, Maxie
purchased "Red Canyons" and had me do
this commission of
one of his uranium properties at Temple Mountain in the
Southeastern Utah desert.
Maxie was
best known for being the leader of the three man team who were
first to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a balloon (the Double
Eagle II in 1978). He had previously attempted a crossing and
crashed in the ocean. ( I also did a painting of his
crashing balloon, Double Eagle). The Bryce Canyon piece was
created in 1977, before Maxie made his first attempt at the
crossing. He was an amazing man and I really enjoyed our
conversations about art and mining. Tragically, Maxie and
his team mate Don Ida were killed in a balloon race in Europe in 1983. Dave
Fitch and I became good friends bumping around the Moab
outback together looking at uranium properties and have
continued our friendship to this day. He and my late and
very dear friend Bob Norman of Moab (also a geologist and
General Manager of Buttes Gas and Oil) were the inspiration
for my insistence on geological accuracy in all my red rock
paintings. Interestingly, I never did get Maxie to buy any
of my uranium properties, only my art. Same thing with Bob:
yes on the art, no on the uranium property. "
R. Geoffrey Blackburn