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Showing posts from April, 2014

Courthouse and Jail Rocks - Acrylic

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"Courthouse and Jail Rocks" Acrylic It's a breezy, spring day in Western Nebraska. Courthouse and Jail Rocks tower above the open prairie. A row of stately cottonwoods traces the winding course of Pumpkin Creek while a field of fresh hay slices through rugged pastureland. The fiery foreground is accented by glittering, silver sagebrush. The cloudless sky is a deep blue as the unusual formation appears golden in the evening light and dark shadows define the bold geography. The steep south face is terraced like a Sumerian ziggurat and descends into a labyrinth of mysterious corridors, caves, tunnels and rattlesnake pits. Composed of Brule clay, Gering sandstone and ash, the rocks are erosional remnants of an ancient plateau formed by volcanic activity thousands of years ago. Later, they became an unforgettable natural landmark that guided emigrants during the 19th century's Westward Expansion . Back then, just passing near the monument offered hope to weary p

Courthouse and Jail Rocks - A Proud Palace of Solitude

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Courthouse and Jail House Rocks Located just south of Bridgeport in the panhandle of Nebraska at the eastern terminus of the Wildcat Hills, Courthouse and Jail House Rocks ascend 400 feet above the North Platte River Valley. For me, the rocks are an enduring symbol of the pioneer spirit, hope and home. During the Westward Expansion , they were a famous landmark as the Oregon, California, Mormon, Pony Express and Sidney-Deadwood trails all ran near the geographical marvels. The formation was first noted by Robert Stuart in 1812. From a far distance, he observed a solitary tower rising out of the open prairie. Only upon closer inspection did he discover there were actually two. Stuart thought the larger feature looked like a courthouse, while the smaller a jail. Locals originally began calling the place McFarlan's Castle while passerbys referred to them as the Lonely Tower, the Castle or the Capitol. By 1837, the name Courthouse and Jail Rocks had stuck. During the 19th cent

Chicago Basin - Colored Pencil Drawing

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"Chicago Basin" Colored Pencil It's a warm day in Colorado's Front Range where a dense thicket of sharp willows forms an almost impassable barrier. You must search for a narrow passageway that leads into the heart of this spectacular wilderness. At the top of Chicago Basin, dark evergreens and a gigantic boulder mark a natural gateway to the incomparable Chicago Lakes. Here, the tundra landscape opens up to a panorama of expansive, gray peaks. The pair of icy-blue ponds are stair-stepped remnants of an ancient glacier that shaped this high valley thousands of years ago. Today, the deep cirque is lush with golden grass and colorful wildflowers. Long, transparent shadows creep down the hillside defining forms in the rugged terrain while steep rock walls enclose the area with a sense of isolation and solitude. Harmless, wispy clouds drift down over the foothills and just beyond the sheer headwall, Mount Evans pierces the wide open sky. Warm rays of sunshine are

Cyborgs - They are Walking Among Us

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General Grievous "I am Grievous, warlord of Kaleesh and Supreme Commander of the armies of the Confederacy. And I am not a droid" ~ Grievous I've always been fascinated by science fiction stories. I'm allured by the exotic locales, strange creatures and the wondrous but sometimes unsettling human characters that are portrayed as a synthesis of organic and artificial parts. People like the Six Million Dollar Man, Robocop and the Terminator raise questions about the differences between man and machine concerning morality, free will and empathy. My favorite cyborg has to be General Grievous from the Star Wars saga. Not only because he's artistically cool but he's also a battered old warrior living precariously to fight another day. After a bomb destroyed his shuttle, Grievous suffered near fatal injuries that rendered his body useless. The Separatists reconstructed Grievous by implanting his brain, eyes and vital organs into a duranium alloy body. Grievo