About the artwork

Grand Canyon is part of my Southwestern Landscape series. The series embellishes on the visually abstract nature of primordial terrains: the forms of the rocks, rivers, and bushes, the unparalleled palettes, and the various surfaces, from scruffy to lush, craggy to velvety, gushing to billowy.   The subject matter naturally lends itself to being expressed via contemporary abstract art techniques of color, geometry, texture, shape, line, form, and pattern. As the old can look new to the discerning eye, the series easily falls under the umbrella theme of my works, Ancient is Modern, Modern is Ancient.   The Grand Canyon itself is a massive compendium of visual abstractions -- or perhaps more to the point, abstract architectural sculptures within nature.  In my Grand Canyon, striking contrasts of shapes, forms, lines, textures, and colors further dramatize the inherent majesty of the North Rim view of the Colorado River cutting through this unique wonder of the world in Arizona.  Towering precipice, deep valley.  Impervious stone, fluid water.  Defined orange-red foreground, amorphous blue-grey background. Smooth rock surfaces, crusty rock beds. Glints of light, dark shadows.  The large side rock was carefully crafted for singular effect.  Palette knife applications of thickened yellow ochre and iron red paint molded intricate fissures, while a brown glaze fashioned shadows.  The impasto technique was also applied to raise up the rock shapes on the canyon wall's ledge.