"Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together."
John Ruskin
Almost 40 years ago I first saw the Grand Canyon as a young photographer while attending a photography workshop given by, among others, Phillip Hyde and Edward Abbey. A strange combination until I tell you that the workshop was about photography and its role in giving voice to the natural landscape. Hyde was (and is) well know for his master work in color photography. Abbey was an author with the southwest landscape as his backdrop with many twists of humor.
This past month I, along with my wife, reconnected with the spaces of the Southwest and it was much like a homecoming for me. It was made even better as I saw the excitement in my wife's eyes as she scanned the same horizons I did years ago. We walked many trails, stood on many overlooks and watched a few sunsets...together.
Along with this backward time travel, I was taken back to not only the moments with Hyde as the group gathered around the camera, but also the discussions around a campfire with Abbey as we all discovered the environmental passion woven through his writings. Questions of conservation and photography lit up the discussion as our mentors guided our thoughts to even more questions.
The blog image is from my iPhone ("big boy" camera work to come in future posts) and was on a morning when I was hoping for clouds as most of the days in the canyon area had been cloudless. As I crept out of our motel room I could see cloud forms in the dark sky and had a rush of excitement. As the morning unfolded the sun and clouds did their magic. This image is the very first edited work from this trip with many more to come as the process continues.
Finally, I am stunned by the feeling of home that I felt as I made my way through the canyon areas of Arizona and Utah. As the previous visit was so long ago I was not expecting any connection to that time to be relevant to the present.
I'M STILL LEARNING.
Thank you all for your continued visits and support.
"Sic 'em Bears". A special shout out to those special Lady Bear basketball players that made it to the "Sweet 16". We all wanted more, but the trip was thrill and we can hardly wait until next season.
For more views of my work visit;
Arts On Grand, Spencer, Iowa http://www.artsongrand.org/
Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota www.lanesboroarts.org
Side Street Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa www.okobojiimages.com
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