Painting the Southwest

Invitation to Zion

16x12 Oil on Canvas

This painting was inspired by my first impression of Zion National Park, in southwestern Utah. The roadside location is approximately 35 miles outside of Springdale, a small town within walking distance of the park entrance. My goal was to create a similar composition as the painting in the prior post, with the clear blue sky setting an atmospheric tone.

During my week long excursion of this region in 2012, I hiked trails of Zion, Snow Canyon, Coral Pink Sand Dunes, and Bryce Canyon. The beauty of the landscape was so diverse from one park to the next, even though they were only within several hours of each other. From this single trip, there is a series of paintings, waiting to emerge.

There is just not enough time to create the visions behind me. Although losing inspiration may be common among artists, I simply do not understand how one could run out of subjects to paint.