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Showing posts from June, 2021

Arches National Park - Wild Scenery

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Arches National Park Arches National Park is one of the most fascinating places on earth and exceedingly more spectacular than I had imagined. Upon ascending to the top of a high plateau, a gateway of rock towers welcomes you to a world of canyons, cliffs, valleys, mountains, gardens, caves, pinnacles, spires, hoodoos and arches. The diversity of scenery is staggering as the rugged terrain seems to transform at every turn. Discovering the Delicate Arch takes you off the main road but a grueling hike up to its secluded location is well worth the effort. From the rim of a lofty overlook, a fiery furnace of red crags has consolidated on a ridge, creating a sandy terrace of inhospitable textures. At the far, northern end of the park, there is a forbidding yet intriguing zone of arches known as The Devils Garden. An area called The Garden of Eden is an unbelievable section of formations that will take your breath away. With names like Balanced Rock, Window Arch, Turret Arch, Double Ar

Blue Inlet - Colored Pencil Drawing

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"Blue Inlet" Colored Pencil It is a late spring morning at Evergreen Lake and a potent storm has blanketed the foothills with wet snow. The only living creature bearing witness to the extraordinary landscape is a Canada goose, drifting quietly across the water’s rippled surface. The blue inlet is defined by the irregular contours of dark reflections that mirror the surrounding pine forest. This cold channel meanders through a snowy marsh painted white but dappled with squiggly, gray shadows. A mountainside’s choppy ridgeline descends into the narrow valley creating an effective backdrop for the stand of pale aspen trees. In the far background a jade-colored peak offers just a touch of warmth to the otherwise cool, color scheme. This wilderness expression is an enigmatic puzzle of interlocking shapes that vibrate from the contrast generated by passages of flat and shaded chroma. The solemn composition is crackled with facets of pigment that are layered, burnished and smu

Delicate Arch - Enlightenment Achieved

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Delicate Arch The Delicate Arch is tucked away in an eroded, natural amphitheater that includes sweeping views across a vast expanse to the La Salle Mountains. Reaching Utah’s most iconic landmark requires strenuous effort as the two mile trek to the spectacular location is almost entirely uphill. With a shape more sturdy than delicate, the heavy set vault is truly a masterpiece of nature’s erosional engineering. The rigid, orange rock contrasts sharply with the soft, blue sky, creating artistic compositions from every available angle. Reaching the summit of this unique environment is worth the effort because the difficult journey through time instills appreciation for the desert’s beauty. Hordes of hikers stream through this area but not even the enthusiastic crowds can diminish the enlightenment achieved by attaining this Mecca on the Mesa. A strenuous effort A two mile trek A journey through time Desert beauty Mecca on the Mesa Erosional engineering A natural amphitheater Hordes o