Art in Action - How to Paint a Landscape at the Grand Canyon

On the 2nd of September, as we continued our USA Tour, we departed beautiful Lake Arrowhead and headed for the west end of the Grand Canyon. Maybe it was the alpine twilight but as we left Lake Arrowhead we were hit with the sudden inspiration to drive through the night and watch the sun rise in Arizona as we approached the Grand Canyon.

And that’s exactly what we did. Seeing streaks of white light illuminating vast desert plains and alien shaped mountains was a captivating experience. In the foreground stood stalwart Joshua Trees, their branches looking like hands groping toward the light as they stood silhouetted against the dawn.

Turning off the main highway, Bruce and I travelled another 30 miles on a winding gravel road (mid construction) until it abruptly ended. We were surprised with what we saw. High wire fences topped with barbed wire surrounded a gathering of simple wooden structures. The scene looked somewhat like a military encampment. No trespassing signs were liberally posted and inside the buildings were a meager array of commercially produced souvenir items. We were told we could either take a tourist tour bus or fly in a helicopter - at great expense - otherwise we could go no further.

My desire was to paint a landscape of the Grand Canyon - not just the vista laid out for tourists and sightseers but rather an artful acrylic portrait of the stark grandeur of desolate mountain forms painted live from a point in the middle of that remote wilderness. On the deserted gravel road back we stopped the car, I got out my paints and easel and canvas and Bruce and I trudged into the desert until we found the perfect spot. Bruce was the photographer and the video cameraman, practicing with our newly purchased camcorder. It was a unique experience, painting in utter silence, interrupted only by the cry of a hawk or the call of a desert bird and the slight rhythmic sigh of a hot desert breeze. What a beautiful and inspiring way to paint landscapes!

After our breathtaking experience in the grandeur of the desert we headed back west, out of Arizona and back into Nevada. Over 100 miles of virtual emptiness. With only a few clumps of life along the way, this strawberry pink church in the middle of the desert really said it all.

So we drove off into the sunrise...

Happy Trails!

Leisa
www.leisacollins.com
leisa@leisacollins.com