Blog text and images by Patricia Banks©
As I gaze at the stunning scene before me, I am speechless. There are no words to describe this place. My thoughts are on my canvas. How on earth will I capture this breathtaking subject? How can I possibly make this believable? I decide on a panoramic background focusing on a few striking shapes in the foreground. I’m going to need to pull out all the stops for this painting. Good perspective skills will be the key to accurately representing these giants.
Bryce Canyon National Park, a “dynamic, mesmerizing place is like no other.” Most canyons are formed by flowing water however Bryce Canyon was formed by weather and erosion.
“Hoodoos are eroded out of the cliffs where rows of narrow walls form. These thin walls of rock are called fins. Frost-wedging enlarges the cracks in the fins, creating holes or windows. As windows grow, their tops eventually collapse, leaving a column. Rain further dissolves and sculpts these limestone pillars into bulbous spires called hoodoos. The delicate climatic balance between snow and rain ensures that new hoodoos will emerge while others become reduced to lumps of clay.”
We hiked down from the canyon rim at Sunrise Point following Queens Garden Trail through the Amphitheater, then joined up with Navajo Loop Trail before returning to the rim at Sunset Point. At 8000 feet, hiking here is not for the faint of heart or for those with breathing issues. We certainly noticed that our breathing was faster, and we walked a little slower than usual.
I still cannot believe my eyes. I hope you will believe my painting!
As I gaze at the stunning scene before me, I am speechless. There are no words to describe this place. My thoughts are on my canvas. How on earth will I capture this breathtaking subject? How can I possibly make this believable? I decide on a panoramic background focusing on a few striking shapes in the foreground. I’m going to need to pull out all the stops for this painting. Good perspective skills will be the key to accurately representing these giants.
Bryce Canyon National Park, a “dynamic, mesmerizing place is like no other.” Most canyons are formed by flowing water however Bryce Canyon was formed by weather and erosion.
“Hoodoos are eroded out of the cliffs where rows of narrow walls form. These thin walls of rock are called fins. Frost-wedging enlarges the cracks in the fins, creating holes or windows. As windows grow, their tops eventually collapse, leaving a column. Rain further dissolves and sculpts these limestone pillars into bulbous spires called hoodoos. The delicate climatic balance between snow and rain ensures that new hoodoos will emerge while others become reduced to lumps of clay.”
We hiked down from the canyon rim at Sunrise Point following Queens Garden Trail through the Amphitheater, then joined up with Navajo Loop Trail before returning to the rim at Sunset Point. At 8000 feet, hiking here is not for the faint of heart or for those with breathing issues. We certainly noticed that our breathing was faster, and we walked a little slower than usual.
I still cannot believe my eyes. I hope you will believe my painting!
