Zion Print

Inspired by a breathtaking trip to Zion National Park a few years ago. As I looked through legacy photographs from a few years ago, the big sky and rock formations of Zion National Park leapt out and I found a somewhat wintry subject to focus on in this painting. I recall that within a time frame of a few hours, our March 2009 visit to Zion had a snowy whiteout, some strong winds, and then blistering sun and heat. Amazing skies and light were a given. I haven’t been looking at Charles Burchfield lately, but sure feel as if I conjured him up with this painting. The hues of the sky and landforms, and the somewhat foreboding trees remind me of his work. I loved working the sky and mountains with subtle changes of hue to distinguish them apart. The foreground land and trees became a study of color layering that only transparent watercolor can do. I painted the foreground with Ultramarine Violet Deep (M. Graham), and allowed it to thoroughly dry before brushing on several layers of a dark green that I mixed from several colors. I was able to get the darkness I wanted without having to resort to black. A one-inch flat brush was used to create allover texture when applying the dark tones. I liked the violet peeking through so much that I allowed it to mix freely with the dark green used on the trees. It gave the painting the atmospheric feel that I was looking for. I don’t know if I will ever return to Zion, but it is a reminder that there are plenty of other domestic places that I need to visit and experience for the drama of the landscape.

Print:Giclee on Fine Art Paper

Size:12 W x 8 H x 0.1 D in

Size with Frame:17.25 W x 13.25 H x 1.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.