Grand Canyon: Quiet Walk, and then!

Photo by Ell (recent graduate-Master's in Math-and all around good man)

Here are two paintings from this week's paint demos. They aren't done, of course, but they give me ideas.

I was walking along the Trail of Time this morning, contemplating the beauty and quiet. There is something that happens when you're here for awhile. The world falls away and there is a desire to slow down--way down. It's so subtle, yet powerful.



Then, I spotted large birds circling, and I thought that they'd found something to hunt. They swooped over my head and I began to shake. They were condors! There were about eight of them having a pleasant fly over, landing along the edge of an outcropping, talking to each other, observing. They looked like they were performing too, but there was no crowd.

Wishing you all time to slow down, disconnect and take in a little nature...

Grand Canyon Artist Melinda Video Postcard

Dear artist bloggers,

Here's a quick video of me painting on the Rim Monday morning. You'll hear the wind whistling, so you might want to turn down the sound at first.

Each day gets better and better. Clouds are coming in causing a shadow dance of shapes across the Canyon walls and mesas. You should be here!

Wish you were.

Love,
Melinda

Made It! Life on the Rim is Good

Just a quick note to let you know that I made it here. What a day! What a place! Wish you all could stop in to celebrate with me. Here are some first impressions:

From the Balcony © 2012 Melinda S. Esparza

At the Rim © 2012 Melinda S. Esparza

Ell and Melinda © 2012 Melinda S. Esparza

Wishing you all a great weekend. More soon.

Grand Canyon Dreaming

In my mind, I'm already there.... Grand Canyon Guide

I'll be painting, musing, thinking of you all. My heart is full of good words of encouragement.

I am thankful for you.

Let's see if I can blog a little while on the Rim. At first, you can just picture me with an awestruck (and slightly goofy) look on my face. 

Here sits a visitation of joy
Captured by a flickering light
Easing the cry of a world yearning to rest
Just for a moment
This is my gratified wish
To be present in this warm light (of the Rim)
Not far away
Where I am of no use
---Melinda Esparza © 2008

And, a special thank you to:

Kathryn Law
 
Jeane Myers

Barbara Muir

Donald Diddams

Linny D.Vine

Jeffrey J. Boron

MarciaLaBelle

and Mr. Artyfice and Ell.

Could not have done this without you. There are other really special people who have helped in so many ways. I'm thinking of you, too.

With best wishes--m

Woman Artist, Melinda asks: What Are You Afraid of?

Yes, you, dear men and women of the Western cultures. What scares you most? Is it spiders? Or, roaches? Maybe heights, or flying? Now, if you have strong fears, I'll bet there are some things about painting that keep you up at night. Nearly all my of life, I have been afraid of spiders. So much so, that I couldn't even look at photos of them in magazines. But, nature finds a way. One day, my Ell won the fifth grade class's tarantula. That's right. T A R A N T U L A. I was clearly stuck. If I expressed my true terror of the ghastly thing, why, I'd be the laughing stock of the classroom. Ell would know for sure that I am really some kind of cowering, simpering fraud after all those years of being... Mother: The Force of Nature (echo, echo, echo). Her name was Molly. We brought her home and started collecting crickets for her. We added to her name. She became Molly Francesca Gomezina. She was the subject of many a monotype and a very long poem/book. I learned to hold her in my hand. Before she died, she graced us with a phenomenal event. She molted. This is her molt that you see me holding today. Maybe we don't have to be afraid of paint. Maybe we can paint with abandon, knowing that there are scarier things in the world; and that nature and pigment and canvas are not any of those things. Makes the brush a lot less intimidating, doesn't it? Be brave.