As I prepare to return to school after a restful and inspiring summer, I'm grateful to find a moment to reflect on two weeks of hiking and painting in the Southwest this past June. Even though I've spent time in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado throughout my life, this was my very first trip to the Grand Canyon. I'm in love. I'm already scheming a trip to return and backpack from rim to rim. I savored the time to sit quietly and paint as the light changed on the sandstone cliffs. Up every morning in time for sunrise and perched at the rim to watch the last light of day every evening, I felt privileged to witness the beauty of the Canyon's expanse. Space. Time. History. It is hard not to contemplate one's place in the universe while hiking in and out of the Canyon.
From there, a visit to Zion and Bryce Canyon and hiking near Escalante, Utah offered more opportunities to paint and to revel in the big blue skies of the West. I am reminded how much practice is required to capture a place truly. I'm looking forward to returning to this desert landscape before too long. Here are a few favorites from the trail...