Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Natural Bridges National Monument


8" x 10" oil on gessoed masonite
$195.00 + $10. s/h
please contact me if interested

My husband and I recently visited Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah.  As I've posted before, the National Parks in Utah are unbelievable.  There are so many of them; they're so large and scenic. If you want to just drive through them, or hike, or paint, or 4-wheel, or see the geology, or archeology, there really is something for everyone.   Utah should be on everyone's bucket list.  Anyway, Natural Bridges Park has 3 large bridges.  This is a view of Kachina Bridge from the bottom of the canyon.  Even though it is massive, it is considered the youngest of the 3 bridges because of the thickness of its span.

I did a quick value study of this with a "Sketch & Wash" pencil.   The graphite in these is "washable", so when done shading, you wash over it w/ water  to exaggerate the values.

It's hard to get the feel of how big these bridges really are.  These boulders resulted from a rock fall in 1992, when approximately 4,000 tons of rock broke off the bridge.


The bridge is named for the Kachina dancers that play a central role in Hopi religious tradition.

17 comments:

Autumn Leaves said...

Beautiful painting, Pam. The photos are gorgeous too. For some reason, I am reminded of those old Wile E. Coyote cartoons (I think it is that bridge in the last photos).

Kristen Reitz-Green said...

Beautiful colors in the painting! The oranges really pop...Great job Pam

Debbi Smith Rourke said...

Love the composition and the colors! Very striking.

Claire Beadon Carnell said...

Your painting is so infused with light! This is beautiful.

Kelley Carey MacDonald said...

These are my hands-down favorites! The sky-holes! The cropping! Gorgeous.

Dana Cooper said...

Beautiful Pam...I too love the sky hole and the surface of the front of the bridge!

Karen said...

I love this format (like your previous sky hole ones) so much!! The composition is such a fantastic reminder that we don't have to paint everything in sight to get a sense of the place...and that a more dramatic composition can be gained too!

Nancy B. Hartley said...

Pam, Wonderful painting, and great travelogue! Your colors really show the feeling of the rocks and sky! Just perfect!

Ray said...

You're right about so much of the Utah preserves being "bucket list" venues! Your paintings are inciting a whole change of plans for me. I've read so much about the Utah geology. Too much to see and capture, not enough time and MB's.

Thank you for your very engaging work.

Pam Holnback said...

Thank you Autumn, You're right! I can see Wile E. running across the top of the bridge!

Kristen, Thank you. The rock colors were incredible. Sometimes I push the colors to make a piece say more. In Utah the colors say it all!

Thank you Debbi and Kelley for your continuous feedback.

Claire, Thank you. I was a little concerned that by the time we hiked down to the bottom of the canyon the light would be too "middle of the day". But, it was still kind of morning like down there!

Kathleen Krucoff said...

My husband & I have gone to Utah a number of times and love the raw, rugged beauty you can find in their parks. We hike.

This painting really captures the richness of that rust color you find with these natural bridges. Awesome work Pam!

Pam Holnback said...

Kelley, Thank you. These are some of my favorite to paint, and one of my favorite places to visit.

Thank you Dana, It was interesting how the middle sky hole was warmer and the top sky hole was cooler. And, it's the same sky just a few feet away!

Karen, Thank you. I paint a lot of western vistas, everywhere you look out here is amazing. It's fun to just paint close-up shape and color.

Nancy, Thank you so much. Painting while traveling just goes together.

Pam Holnback said...

Ray, Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing where you do go! And, yes, there is so much out there!

Kathleen, Geologic shapes would make great glass pieces. Sort of abstracted like your skies.

Amy Hillenbrand said...

This is fabulous, the colors and the composition. I love the way painted the rocks.

Lori Bonanni said...

Pam, nice composition and colors! Drove thru this breathtaking park many years ago after a ski trip to Colorado. Enjoy your retirement!

Pam Holnback said...

Thank you Nancy & Lori, I've been trying to make sure that the colors match the value.

Cobalt Violet said...

You are making me want to oil paint again! Fantastic painting! So yummy!