February 11, 2011 — Grand Palette

I have been to the Grand Canyon about 10 times. Nowadays, I manage to make a visit almost every year. Even if I am heading back from New Mexico, and short on time, I still make a side trip up to the South Rim. Spend a few hours and just look. In many ways, the only thing to do at the Grand Canyon is look. Yes you can hike, camp, even condor watch (I saw one once). The Grand Canyon is mostly just about looking. And true to most national parks. The majority of visitors never venture more than a few hundred feet from their car. It takes little effort to go a short way from one of the vista points and have a pretty quiet experience — even on the crowded South Rim. I have spent the night at the North Rim. The sole purpose was being there to look at the sunrise.

I fill up my digital camera every time I visit. The sky, the light, it literally changes by the minute. When I come home to paint, it’s another story. I have been painting the desert for years. But I find the Grand Canyon is a practically impossible. There are so many colors and so many plays of light and shadow that I never really satisfied with my results. The color palette is great to work with, but putting it all into a painting and making it work is no fun. And while I like a challenge, I should enjoy painting. Right?

You can get in a car and reach the Grand Canyon in two days. If you haven’t been, go. Go and just look.