From Moody to Hell to Home

Thought I'd be able to get a quick painting in yesterday morning...

Packed up my things, grabbed a bite to eat and the clouds only darkened. Drizzle. GORGEOUS! But yeah, storm approaching. Since I had to drive back up out of the canyon (Sedona) up to Flagstaff... I opted to start the drive back west.

Farewell to the spectacular Sedona!

And 5.5 hours later... A special kind of hell: Barstow.

What a shock. What is this place?? Outlets. Buses. Masses of shoppers. Hot like hell. Where am I? A pit stop.

I'm heading home. 

Adventures in Sedona

Where to begin?!

Woke at 5:30 so I could get out to Red Rock Crossing Park early to catch the best light. It takes about 40 minutes to get there...

Arrived. Closed. Open at 8. Shoot!!!

Ate breakfast and coffee in the car and then cleaned the car.... Until 8.

I'd painted here before, when I took a Plein air workshop through the Sedona Art Center with William Scott Jennings. We painted at this spot, along the river looking up at Cathedral Rock.

But today... The river was FULL! All along the banks you couldn't see the Cathedral. I walked every which way.... Nothing. I had to cross the river. 

With my pochade backpack, my tripod, my umbrella AND my coffee... I climbed around trying to find a way to cross. 20 minutes of ducking under trees and poking around, nothing. I knew I'd have to go through. 

Pants rolled up. Coffee held high. I waded through a rushing river, only to just under my knees... to a rocky bank with a perfect view!!

Perfect spot! People started arriving and many couldn't figure how I got where I was... I said walk on through! Your shoes will dry! None did.

I caught the morning light despite all the hiccups - the colors were beautiful!

About half way through, a family walked by on the other side of the river. They said, excuse me lady... Just so you know, there is a snake right there. WHAT??!!! "I don't think it's poisonous" said the Dad. Oh, great. My not so little, 4' friend, slithered off..... First snake sighting!

Painting is great, super pleased. But only time for one today.

Wind. Crazy wind arrived. I was walking around town and everyone was taking cover in shops and then the dark clouds appeared. 20-64 mph. This I know because I took refuge in a gallery and the gallery employee looked it up :) 

I treated myself to a massage tonight, felt wonderful after hauling about my painting equipment, my luggage duffel and my electric cooler for 3 weeks. I needed it.

My plan is to squeak in a painting in the morning and then head WEST. As I'm eating dinner now, 8:45, and drinking a delicious Cucumber Margarita- we'll see....

Looking down, looking up

It only took about a half hour east of Albuquerque for the red rocks that I love so much to appear. Gorgeous!

8 hours in the car today... Pretty much my max. Made a terrific stop to see the Meteor Crater, I totally recommend a quick stop here if you're driving near Flagstaff Arizona. It's WINDY!!! 

After a beautiful 40 minute drive down through forests and more red rocks I finally arrived in Sedona.

Absolutely one of the most beautiful places on earth I believe.

Tomorrow is a painting day! Can't wait!

More from Sedona

I'm pretty pleased with my little paintings from Sedona. Thought best to put more up!

This was a morning only piece, we painted from 8:30-noon and then met at the instructor's Studio for a critique.

A snake slithered under a tree to the right of me and behind me was bus after bus dropping off tourists to take photos of Bell Rock (to the left of this formation.) Nothing like painting outdoors with the sound of a diesel engine roaring behind you!

Sedona in Plein Air

I've always loved Santa Fe and the red rocks of Bryce and Zion in Southern Utah. But I'd never been to Sedona, Arizona which seems the obvious hybrid of the art and southwest vibe of New Mexico and the natural, unearthly beauty of Utah.

That is how I found myself enrolled in a 5 day Plein Air painting in Sedona workshop through the Sedona Arts Center.

I'm glad my first visit to Sedona was to paint. Meeting in secluded rock canyons or in the early morning at the river, I know I SAW Sedona. The real Sedona. The town of Sedona, the hodge-podge of tacky T-Shirt shops and fake Native American homages or woo-woo-psychic crystal nonsense... that's was a complete let down. What a disservice to the beauty of the land. What an insult to the power and energy you can't help but be humbled by when you stand beneath that incredible blue sky.

Sadly, even the galleries were bad. Super disappointing - I might as well have been walking on Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Tacky, irrelevant, print after Giclée after poorly painted half dressed Indian maiden. UGH.

Thankfully, I was with talented painters for the week, exploring the natural beauty and being challenged to do justice to what we encountered. It was a gift to myself to paint consecutively for 5 days, from 9-4. It was exercise!

I'm pleased with my work and inspired to tackle more. I painted what I saw and what I felt... I painted with rhythm and color, shapes and mood. I can't wait to frame my little Sedona paintings so I can remember the 'real' Sedona, not the commercial 'Disneyland on Patchouli' version.