New Grand Canyon Landscapes and a Quiz!

Redwall's Buttes at the Grand Canyon


Canyon's Gold on the Colorado




April Morning on the Bright Angel Trail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Grand Canyon Landscapes by Cindy Morawski

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a Grand Canyon Trivia Quiz. See what you know about this spectacular natural wonder of America.

1. The Grand Canyon covers an area larger than the size of what U.S. state:

a. New Jersey b. Rhode Island c. New Mexico d. Hawaii

2. What is the name of the river that extends 277 miles in northwest Arizona and the Grand

Canyon?

a. Columbia River b. Rio Grande c. Mississippi d. Colorado

3. Which part of the Grand Canyon is the most developed and has the most visitors?

a. South Rim b. North Rim c. East Rim d. West Rim

4. How deep is the Grand Canyon?

a. 2 miles b. 1. 5 miles c. 1 mile d. 2.5 miles

5. Grand Canyon National Park has 38 hiking trails and covers about 40o miles. Name one of the main trails into the the canyon.

a. Phantom Ranch b. Bright Angel c. Cape Royal d. Mohave

*Answers in the next blog! Or, if you can't wait, just email me. Check out your Quiz Score: 5 out of 5~~National Park Ranger!... 4 out of 5~~National Park Explorer... 3 out of 5~~Lucky Tourist... 2 out of 5~~Most likely to need rescued in a National Park... 1 out 5~~National Park Disaster!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After three past visits to the Grand Canyon and then while recently enjoying a friend's photos of a spring trip to the canyon, I felt an electrical surge of certainty. Why not paint the landscapes of the Grand Canyon? They are indeed one of our National Treasures. I decided on a series of three that would include the Colorado River, the Bright Angel Trail in springtime, and those red canyon walls with the desert vegetation in silhouette.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

All my paintings were completed on beige Colourfix Art Spectrum paper. After a dry wash of the foundations colors, I sketched in my horizon and general shapes. Next, I tackled the composition while keeping my earlier value study in mind. In order to stay inspired and feel like I was present at the canyon, I played Native American instrumental music; the CD was called Migration and it featured songs like "Walking the Path" and "Quietude."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're looking for a family vacation or trip this next year, you might consider the Grand Canyon. It's one of the most popular parks in the national park system for a reason. It's simply GRAND! Check out my website (www.cindymorawski.com) for more info about these recent paintings. Better yet, come by and see them in person at my home gallery, Mockingbird Studio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Trails!

~~Cindy