Last Painting Day

This was it. Last day to paint and also the day to submit your final selection for judging.

I started the day nice and relaxed: made coffee in my AeroPress and also made oatmeal with peanut butter and a banana with the extra water I boiled in my JetBoil.

I hadn't driven down the famous Hole-in-the-Rock Road yet, so I bumped along that dirt and rock road some 13.5 miles (!) until the Devil's Garden. Fantastic spires and fists and orbs of red and yellow sandstone, some 40ft above the desert floor.

After that I knew I needed to find just the right location for my final painting of the festival. I narrowed it down by wanting to paint red striped rocks again... So I knew I needed to head East on Hwy 12 between Kiva Koffeehouse and the a Escalante River. 

I made a uturn when the rocks turned more sand color and less red and was now back heading West. SUCCESS!

In a deep S curve by the River trail was a pull out big enough for my car and my painting set up... And SHADE!!

I had a glorious view if two towers of striped rock and they just inspired me to paint bold and convey their playful spirit. I love these.

Up before the day

Made it out to the parking area at Kiva Koffee at 7am. THE PLAN had been to paint until about 9, go in for a coffee and breakfast, then set back out to finish my piece.

Well, they are CLOSED on Tuesdays! Oh no! So I painted, sans coffee, banana for breakfast, and painted until 11:30.

The cropping of rocks was something I saw on my 'scouting' day earlier in the week. But arriving at 7, just as the sun was coming up I got the chance to see the colors deepen then lighten, the shadows lift and go from purples to blues  and then fade. It was a lovely show!