Camelback Mountain
Category: Uncategorized
Refreshed by a dirt road
Going nuts with work. Grab sketch gear. Grab water. Drive to end of earth.
Okay, maybe not THE end, but close enough. I found a dirt road that was suitable only for my jeep: Rocks, very narrow in places with occasional steep drop offs to one side of the jeep or the other. Cool. It’s been too long since my jeep and I have enjoyed the solitude of a remote trail. There were not any recent tire tracks from other vehicles. Nice. It was scenic, but not dramatically pretty. The road is used by the Forest Service to fight fires and by the power company to service large power transmission towers. There were also signs of bird hunting (spent shotgun shells). Still, it was quiet and off the beaten path. My jeep thanked me for getting it off pavement. I drew its portrait, then drove home, refreshed.
FYI: That’s Superstition Mountains and Weaver’s Needle in the distance.
Happy Trails
Jerome, Arizona
A “ghost” town. At least it almost was when I first visited it as a kid back in the 60s. Now it has an arts and crafts vibe. Had a nice lunch with my friends at Grape’s. Jerome has the usual Southwestern arts and craps, but there is some really good work, too. Keep walking past the glitz and you will find nice examples of Western landscape and urban painting.
Cody DeLong
300 Hull Ave, Suite 1, Jerome Arizona.
(inside the Merchants Gathering)
Phone – 928-300-4576
David A. Haskell
Canyon Fine Art Gallery,
Old Jerome High School Gallery/studio Complex
Highway 89, Jerome, AZ.
Phone 928-499-4074
Superstition has it …
Finally, an oil painting. This is a view of the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix.
Backyard still life
Busy preparing classes and teaching. Result: Drawing has slowed considerably; oil painting has essentially stopped. Temporary but necessary. I draw outside as much as I can, but we are having an “Indian Summer” in Scottsdale with above normal temps for late September. I just finished this drawing. It’s 5:30pm and 109◦F (almost 43◦ C). Good thing I was next to the pool. 🙂 I will pick up the outdoor drawing when the average daytime temps fall below 100 (38C).
Project Update: A tribute to Phoenix mountains.
I’m running behind. I finished Superstition Mountain then 80 million things happened. Ok. Ok. Not 80 million, only 30 million. I will not post the paintings until all four are finished. Do you want to see Superstition Mountain? Then join me at Village Coffee Roastery this Saturday about 9:ooam. ( 8120 Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, Arizona). Until Saturday, enjoy this sunset scene from Ironwood National Monument in Northwest of Tucson. This trip was with some artist friends from Jerome in 2004. I have been coming here since 1971 and have spent one-hundred or more days and nights in this area. This trip was memorable for the number of young desert tortoises. I counted about six. That is six more than I’ve seen here, ever. Wonderful news. I also met one rather upset diamondback rattlesnake. I inquired as to the reason for his or her problem, but an answer was not forthcoming.
Doing the local scene near Scottsdale
Thompson Peak near sunset. Northeast of Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s about 4,000ft (1,200m). This view is near my house. The map shows a jeep trail up the back side. Sounds like it’s time for a road trip. Many of these old roads are closed or blocked these days. I might have to go open it. Fun! Stay tuned.
Ship sails without me
That’s Celebrity Infinity. I left it in Seattle to finish the Alaska season without me. I left a little sooner than I thought, but that means I will paint local scenes. I love Alaska scenery, but it will have to wait.
