"The scenic ideals that surround even our national parks are carriers of a nostalgia for heavenly bliss and eternal calmness." Robert Smithson
The habits developed while running around with camera bags, tripods, lenses, assorted attachments, and a head full of ideas, results, solutions and destinations can often restrict our vision to looking ahead and sideways while missing something above. The grand Zion National Park is a monument of steep vaulted walls clothed in natures graffiti of lines and colors that have been painted over time...a very long, long time....millions of years of time. On more than one occasion as my wife and I walked through those monumental canyons I was so caught up with the "walls of ahhhhh's" that I forgot about the third, fourth and fifth dimensions, if there are that many. However, I wasn't always delirious by the glowing reflections of sunlight as it bounced from one wall to another. On this particular day I DID look up to the "high and mighty" elevations that are Zion.
Splashes of light from wall to wall brought out every fissure and varnish that directed my eye upward to the light colored wall and rolling clouds. As in the above quote it was "....heavenly bliss and eternal calmness." It was a jaw dropping moment that was a result of the volumes of color, shades, lights, darks and everything in between. My eyes traveled a lacework of cracks, ledges, and nuanced tones, that blinked off and on as the clouds passed through the spotlight of the day star.
I haven't been to all the national parks, but I've been fortunate to see some of the best including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches, Bryce, Zion and others. They all have their best points, their best overlooks, their best trails and their best side. At Zion I felt comfortable, excited and refreshed. The highlands were decked out in a frosting of snow, the river was cold and clear, the air fresh and the walls were vibrant.
It's a life wasted that does not step into a national park once in a while, IMHO.
The Summerwind Gallery in Arnolds Park, Iowa is getting close to the opening date of May 1, with a grand opening date of June 4. Visit the gallery and get an eye full of some outstanding art by Iowa artists and meet the new owner, Roberta Williams, an artist with a remarkable vision. We look forward to seeing you.
For more views of my work visit;
http://500px.com
Lanesboro Art Center, Lanesboro, Minnesota www.lanesboroarts.org
Summer Wind Gallery, Arnolds Park, Iowa http://www.summerwindgallery.com
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