On the Edge

I think it was in 2017 our family did a long road trip through some of the incredibly beautiful parts of the American West.  We visited Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon, Fort Laramie, Teton National Forest, and Yellowstone.  We were on the road about 3 weeks and in that time, driving on lonesome roads, the beauty of the country opened up around each corner.  Coming from suburbia, such emptiness gets a bit frightening – and enticing.  I used to live in the boonies, but as a kid – as an adult, I see the advantages and disadvantages, dangers and pleasures.

This painting is done from a photograph I took on the edge of the Grand Canyon.  Our B&B host gave us exact directions to a dirt service road, complete with mile marker.  There was a little turnout for parking and an easy mile walk through the pines.  At the end, the edge of the world!  Before us spread out the incredible vistas of the Grand Canyon.  The edge, though, before we met that vast expanse, had a wonderful scene of its own – trees, flowers, bushes, rocks – through which a hint of the Grand Canyon could be seen.

If you have never been to the Grand Canyon, take a trip.  Even a short stop will leave you in awe.