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| Chamisa in bloom |
It was my last day at the Grand Canyon, so I started the morning by doing some cleanup. I figured that, if I cleaned my brushes and scraped my palette, I wouldn't be tempted to paint. I was hoping instead to do a little hiking and photography. I wanted to see the canyon with different eyes today.
At 11, I went back to the Kolb Studio for the public opening of the "Plein Air on the Rim" exhibition. We had a great turnout, but by 1, it was time to say our goodbyes. It's always sad when you have to say goodbye to not just the canyon but to your painter friends. We also said goodbye to the wonderful staff and volunteers of the Grand Canyon Association and to the National Park Service. This superb event would not have happened without their help.
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| The artists before the rush |
And then I took off my name tag and became a civilian again.
That afternoon, I parked my car and rode the shuttle out on the Hermit Road to Mohave Point. Many of the painters found Mohave to be a special spot; I did, too. I hiked out a mile to the west, to the Abyss. I not only took lots of photos, I also spent some time just looking. Looking without a paint brush. I enjoyed letting my eyes rove over the landscape, finding little nooks and crannies I no doubt would have missed if I'd been painting. Painting had sharpened my observational skills, but sometimes I miss seeing the little things. I discovered a little pair of towers I'd never seen before, deep down in the Abyss.
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| Two towers |
My next stop is Sedona, then the Phoenix airport. I should be home on Campobello Island Tuesday. As much as I've enjoyed these last two weeks, I'm really looking forward to seeing my family again.
Here are a couple more photos of the Grand Canyon.
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| Beautiful junipers on the rim |
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| Just a nice view |
