Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Alberta Badlands

  
Exquisite light at sundown, May 31st, 2011

A week ago today we were camping with Don and Ann at Dinosaur Provincial Park, near Brooks, Alberta.  It was our third visit and everywhere I was tripping over familiar hoodoos and memories.  Titles of oils and watercolours, painted long ago, came tumbling out of my mouth.  And all over again I found myself completely fascinated by the strange beauty of this World Heritage Site.  Our first visit was in September 1993 and it was quickly followed by a second trip in April 1994 because I was on a bender to paint this wild, barren, lunar landscape. 

Me, Bill and a favourite hoodoo behind the Visitor Centre

If you click on the above link it will take you to the photo essay I compiled of our recent time there in which I integrated some of my paintings. 

I came home consumed with the desire to really remember that time.  So I dug out photos from the early trips and revisited the artwork as a result of them.  I fished out painting slides, learned how to scan them and made a complete digital record of the collection.  It was a deeply satisfing experience.  I invite you to click on the following link to know the details behind the series, the exhibitions and to see all of my badlands paintings:

May these thumbnails whet your appetite ... 

New Image Gallery, Calgary AlbertaDinosaur DuskDinosaur Fantasy ParkSeptember Alluvium 16x12Nature's RustBadlands Trail Head
Layers of TimeEroded SculptureRainbow in the Shade, Drumheller, AlbertaStone Mushrooms, Drumheller, AlbertaPhred the Camel Wears a Bentonite SkirtFeel the Stillness
Where the World Becomes a Wonderland 24x36Strata Cake, Strata Cake





2 comments:

  1. What a wonderful post, Alice, and the flidkr series is just amazing. I found it so interesting to see the difference between the watercolour and oil versions of the Badlands. They're all just gorgeous.

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  2. Thank you, Win. I didn't do many watercolours after this series and it's been over a decade since I have done any at all!

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