My National Parks Plein Air Project began in 2014 in Isle Royale Nat Park with the desire to visit and paint on site all 59 Nat Parks. Thus far I have “plein air” painted in 35 Parks. I return to my framing shop and art studio every few weeks so I can earn money for the next adventure. Every Park poses a different set of challenges such as getting a clear day at Mt Rainier or sharing my sleeping bag with spiders at Smokey Mtns or being dropped on by rappelers at Zion. Sometimes the trail is just a boardwalk at Biscayne Bay or a treacherous icy path at Black Canyon of the Gunnison in March 2016. Hauling my easel with oils and pastels and canvases and paper and brushes and camera and notebooks can be very difficult—-yet so worthwhile. “Plein air” painting takes you many steps further than a cell phone snap shot. It represents an individual experience that creates an emotional as well as artistic legacy. Waiting for the “just right” inspiration is an unique experience that I hope others will come to appreciate. While in the painting process I have the opportunity to share with Park visitors a bit of my journey and each Park’s wonder. Children are the most inquisitive and they hold the key for our Parks’ continued survival. My goal is to finish the project at the end of a 2017 with a book and possibly a traveling art show to cities so many people can be aware of our Nation’s greatest treasures.
Sincerely,
Zion National Park
Free-flowing rivers cut through multi-hued sedimentary rock to form Zion's deep and spectacular canyons. Park trails lead visitors to dramatic rock formations, hanging gardens, scenic vistas, ancient rock art and natural arches. People have lived in Zion’s landscape for at least 8,000 years, and the park's prehistoric art and artifacts tell the stories of the area’s previous inhabitants. The park also provides habitat for a variety of wildlife and large mammals, hardy desert plants like cholla and juniper, and rare and threatened birds like the peregrine falcon, California condor and Mexican spotted owl.
State(s): Utah
Established: 1909
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Greetings from Zion National Park
My wife and I have been hiking with a high school buddy of mine and his wife for years and we try to visit a National Park every year. I will share a very memorable and beautiful trip we made to Zion. We traveled there in the summer and hiked…
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Greetings from Zion National Park
My 26yo grandson and I ascended Angel’s Landing in the morning and then headed to the Narrows. He wondered how we were going to hike IN the Narrows. He was caught aback as I just continued my hike from the river walk right into the river without a pause. He…
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Greetings from Zion National Park
Zion National Park will always have a special place in my heart. The first time visiting, I hiked up to Observation Point in the morning and did a few miles in The Narrows in the afternoon. It was a glorious and exhausting introduction to the park. Years later, I brought…
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