Greetings!
This is my first newsletter/blog entry! My plan is to provide a regular update regarding my painting and the experiences that have inspired me.
Last year in the spring, Lonny and I travelled to Utah, camping in remote spots, hiking up slot canyons, and discovering rare landscapes. At Surprise Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, we pulled into a car park and set off on a trail that meandered through dry spring beds, made sharp turns next to narrowly spaced rocks, and unfolded into a spectacular canyon with steep, red sandstone walls.
This fall - in another slot canyon – in Goblin Valley, I pondered the question: What makes slot canyons so intriguing? While painting this picture of Surprise Canyon, I discovered that for me, it is the intrigue of what lies beyond sharp corners and narrow spaces. The hope of revelation beckons us into mysterious places:
As we hiked toward the entrance to Surprise Canyon, we contemplated the forces of nature that formed it. We also took note of the trail leading up to it, feeling the shifting sand beneath our feet. Surprise Canyon had plenty of surprises, including spotting raptors and finding one canyon that lead to another.
After finishing a small painting from our recent trip to Moab,
I have moved onto a large figurative work from references/photos I took on a trip to Powell’s Books in Portland, OR. Here is a piece that currently sits on my easel:
A lovely woman sits in the coffee shop at the bookstore, absorbed in what she’s seeing on her phone, and is unaware that an onlooker finds her presence compelling.
Wishing you my best,
Trish Donovan