Inside the Mountain

Inside The Mountain

Ski slopes from the highest peaks to the mountains base are all now blanketed in depths of snow. All of the sharp edge  landscape features are softened except for the jagged outcroppings of the vertical cliffs.
The ski lifts and the tram are running full speed expediting skiers to the top of the hills.  Skiers and snowboarders gracefully serpentining down the groomed slopes, all a pleasing sight but today my thoughts have wandered to thinking about what's underneath the snowy runs and the people skiing on them. What remains of this areas rich mining history?  What remains of the approximately 50 miles of old mine tunnels?

Knowing a bit about the areas rich mining history of the Alta area mt thoughts wandered as though taking a time travel through the many mines and mine tunnels now hidden under the earth's snowy cover. Thinking of miners carrying out there treasures of minerals so many years ago. Contrasted with thoughts of the skiers now seeking the valued treasure of Utah's famous powder.  Skiing on ski trails named for the mines and mining history concealed well beneath. 
The skiers experiencing the moment of the day but like the miners taking treasure they take away treasured memories. Memories that will be shared and stored up as intrinsically valued treasure.

 My treasure is both the treasure of the time spent observing the mountains and the people enjoying them and the paintings and illustrations produced. With many gouache illustrations produced panels and  linens are now being carefully painted with oil paint, paint of the quality that will last for many years beyond my existence. Perhaps treasures for those who enjoy the mountains now and for future generations whom may like to see the mountains as they were in the year of seasons painted  from 20017-through 2018 

While one may think of the old mine tunnels as unused relics of the past they are anything but. The approximately fifty miles of mine tunnels are an intricate part of the watershed that supplies water to Salt Lake City communities. In the year 1912 the Wasatch drain tunnel was constructed to drain water from the silver, lead copper, zinc mines. In 1985 a unique steel bulkhead was built to dam water in the tunnel. The Snowbird plug as it is called holds back 35 millions of water at a depth of 330 ft.. The water is used for a variety of purposes including culinary water for the city, for Snowbirds water needs including winter artificial snow making. The man made snow is denser and heavier than natural snow and  when it melts it works to refill the internal aquifers.

So much for this post now to paint.

Diverse Opportunities

With a slow start to the Ski season due to a minimal amount of natural snow I can only appreciate how many activities there are to do in the canyon and at Snowbird ski resort. One can participate and indulge one's senses in any of their preferred recreational endeavors.

There are 6 ski runs open. As I observe the mountain skiers in their colorful attire they are a vivid contrast against the bright snow and an even more noticeable contrast when the seemingly bleak landscape is dotted with the colorful skiers traversing the mountain. An enjoyable thing to watch. With a bit of imagination the scene resembles what might best be described as live and somewhat abstract painting in motion.

I came up the canyon today with the intention of seriously getting right to work on preliminary sketches and drawings for concieved  paintings to be. However my intentions were a bit delayed. It may seem an abnormal thought, that of swimming outdoors on a winter day but that is what captured my interest and happily caused my delay in working on the sketches. The Cliffs spas perfectly heated pool was my perfect excuse for getting some much needed exercise before setting out on my intended work. After a swim and a good soak in the hot tub I spent God knows how many hours just observing as much as possible every detail  and subtle nuances of the mountains. It is said and also my lifetime experience that you do not really see anything until you paint it.

As an artist I never tire of observing the mountains features and today while observing the mountains exterior features I have let myself daydream of the mountains interior. The mountains internal guts are a maze of mine tunnels, unseen remnants of the areas historys silver mining. While most all of the tunnels remain hidden from sight and a mystery to the casual onlooker. One of the tunnels is still used. Snowbird has a people conveyor that a skier can travel on through the mountain to access the Mineral Basin ski area. (Google it on YouTube )

With renewed energy I will conclude this post and get to those sketches
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“Out of Purgatory” December 3-9 Snowbird Utah

This week at Snowbird, (Little Cottonwood canyon Utah) may best described as or at least, a foot out of purgatory. Purgatory being defined as Salt Lake City’s notorious seasonal cycle of inversions. In the Wasatch front air quality has reached the code red status. Polluted air is measured by the AQI (air quality index) developed by the EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency ) It is calculated based on the pollution levels of five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide(SO2), and nitrogen dioxide(NO2).  AQI relates the general health effects associated with different pollution levels, as well as the necessary precautionary steps to take when the air pollution levels become alarmingly high. This week the alarm has sounded to the maximum level red (meaning hazardous to anyone's health.
  It works like this; cold air is trapped close to ground level in the high mountain valleys of Utah (Salt Lake City where I reside) and is held there by atmospheric high pressure. The cold air develops with increasingly trapped pollutants until like this week visibility has decreased to ¼ of a mile. Besides the debilitating respiratory effects the inversions increased depression in many if not most individuals is another malady to contend with. The strategy to coping with the inversions is to get to a higher altitude. Just above the valleys floor the skies are blue and the air much cleaner.

  My time spent at Snowbird was a life saver. Breathing fresher air and seeing brilliant blue sky while having a nice swim in the Cliff’s spa  outdoor pool and a good soak in the hot tub rejuvenated me in a way I am still looking for words to describe. (damn fine for now)
   Much of the pollution in the valleys inversion is contributed to by automobile emissions. So bad air days are an important reason to use public transportation. Transportation organized by the UTA (Utah Transit Authority)  works to consolidate commuters and reduce the no of individual vehicles on the roads. In respect to getting out of the valley and up to the mountains the UTA ski bus greatly reduces canyon pollution and a whole lot of  canyon traffic. Another upside to the ski bus is that it conveniently drops off passengers right at the resort  centers main entrance and the lodge doors. Talking with out of state and out of country visitors they are amazed that one can fly into Salt Lake’s international airport, take the train to the ski bus departure location and have a safe ride right to the world class resorts and the” Greatest Snow on Earth”
Feeling much better now and with my creative thoughts restored  I am now ready to to concentrate on painting.

Game Changer

Last week in November  2017 Snowbird Utah

This week in the canyon  (Little Cottonwood Canyon Utah)
was and could best be described for Snowbird Ski resort
as a game changer. With one ski run open on Thanksgiving
day due to a lack of snow and unseasonably
 warm temperatures This week began with a much needed
and welcomed reported 18” snowfall. Enough snow and
enough cold to warrant cranking up the snow making
machines and get more ski runs operational.

 

This week from an artist's perspective has also brought about
many visual changes. Visual eye candy that I will incorporate
into new sketches and paintings.Bare patches of ground and
rock are slowly disappearing. The towering conifers are also
providing a variety of new painting possibilities and opportunities.

In the shadowed slopes of the mountain the conifers are
adorned with winter coats, coats so heavy as to bend the
lower branches to the ground coats that will become
heavier and heavier until an escape by the returning
northern sun and not perhaps until a long time to come
spring thaw.

Myself continuing work at Snowbird Utah USA

painting a year of seasons

Enough for this posts dialog now time to paint.

Thanksgiving Day 2017 Snowbird Utah USA

An unusually warm day greeted all with interests in the canyon. (Little Cottonwood canyon) Sightseers, hikers, photographers, artists and skiers all found their interests joyfully accommodate With temperatures near 60 deg (f)  the day was savored as one of those last autumn days.

The mountain scenery is in a realm of transition. A transition that will now likely span a very short period of time. Patches of snow and patches of earth come together in stark contrasts of light and dark as well as soft subtle blends that seem as to melt together. Creating and providing a gentle transition between the seasons invoking a sense of peacefulness and tranquility.

From a visual perspective the warm greens and blues of the tall slender pines and fir trees are as welcome friends. Friends there throughout all seasons, all conditions, be that comfortable or harsh. With the dark majestic pines set against but also an integral part of the mountains upper snow filled valleys and bowls the conifers dark, sometimes as dark and as formidable as towers of black steel but with an organic form and structure. Their presence perhaps providing for hope and faith as a solid unmovable constant element in an not so stable world. A world in transition and  in flux. Not just the physical flux of global warming and changing climates but flux in terms of the social and economic effects on human happiness,  prosperity and  existence. Giant conifers who if properly appreciated may and can stand as a symbol or foundation in a changing environment. Giants whose needs also need to be considered and thought of when realizing our individual footprints.

 










 Gazing with the eye to the sky in most all directions are jagged rock outcroppings and cliffs of both smooth granite and others as rough and jagged are only as one might conceive and as only nature could form. Cliffs and rock outcroppings that excite, delight and challenge the artists attempt to represent such diverse forms.  A range of color all in and on one mountain slope. Blues, blue violets, chalky white interlaced with subtitle shades of greens. Contrasted colors of  ochers, sienna's  and umbers on rock outcroppings and steep well defined draws. All of the eye candy must quickly be observed and appreciated as even a small cloud casting shadows against the canyons walls instantly change the whole color pallette.

 

A phenomenon that I look for every time I am privileged to be in the upper elevations of the canyon is that of the delightful illusion of fast moving clouds. An observation that is most likely realized by physically not being that far away from the clouds themselves.  An opportunity to be close to the sun the clouds and the elements. Perhaps closer to other important things if dutifully considered. Paralleling  the fast moving clouds to the reality of how fast time passes and has passed is a reminder to oneself  to deepen one's  gratitude for time spent in such an inspirational environment.

 Vivid bright color and spent up energy were also joyful elements of my observations this Thanksgiving day at the Snowbird. Although climatically warm with substantial effort the enthusiastic crew at Snowbird used there snow making equipment to supplement what natural snow had fallen to get one ski run open. The anxious skiers and snowboarders were seemingly delighted as I perceived from the happy faces and smiles of those looping back to the lift for one more run. The parking lot was also an indicator of contentment.  Individuals with stoves  cooking what looked like a great afternoon picnic.

Canyon Culture, This Week at the “Bird” Snowbird Utah USA

With much thought on the purpose of modeling the role of art in times of socioeconomic transition I have started a new project to engage the purpose of the blog in greater depth and modeling the concept at a personal level.  Read more.................

Millcreek Senior Center Art- Mindfulness Class

Millcreek Senior Center August 2017

Creative Mindfulness: Using Visual Art to support mindfulness

Throughout the ages, art has been synonymous with healing and has in many cultures held a key role in many ancient spiritual and religious healing rituals. Traditionally, art has also been held as a hallowed and fundamental part of society and culture. However, the role of art is changing. It is my hope that as the role of art changes in our society that you will learn new ways to change your perception and participation of the arts.

Today the value of art-making is in increasingly under scrutiny and often dubbed an unnecessary and unimportant luxury. Art is being slowly removed from school curricula and faces defunding. Often art is quarantined in the halls of museums and available only to the select few who have the luxury to go out of their way to be involved with the arts.
The benefits  for seniors, include reduced stress, and increases in relaxation, energy, self-esteem and even cognitive functioning.

“Mindfulness is a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is happening in your life, your sketchbook is a tool for taking charge of your life, a way of doing something for yourself that no one else can do for you — consciously and systematically working with your own stress, pain, illness, and the challenges and demands of everyday life

As art’s role in contemporary society is increasingly questioned, another topic has enjoyed a surge in popularity: mindfulness. Contemporary psychology has seen a substantial increase in the study of mindfulness—in 2012 alone over 500 scientific articles on mindfulness

So what's this class about?

This class is about incorporating the many forms of art into a daily routine that ensures a holistic lifestyle. The primary focus is incorporating and using  the visual arts by keeping a sketchbook.

The sketchbook is just a tool to use and record your thoughts. It forces yourself into a greater sense of mindfulness. It’s about mindfulness in a fun way.

My personal application is presented in my blog, “ An Easel A Brush and the Bus”  

http://easelbrushbus.blogspot.com/

Throughout this blog I use public transportation to free myself from the needed attention to driving myself to various locations to make sketches and take time for mindfulness observation.

Art is so important in my life I also have another blog,  Wasatch Art, http://wasatchart.blogspot.com/  the theme of this blog is modeling the role of art in times of socioeconomic and political transition.

Suggested materials for using the visual arts to create your own mindfulness path.
1. Sketch book, Any type will do, from a inexpensive note book to a nice sketching journal book.
2. Minimally a pencil, and or pen
3. Additionally soft pastels
4. Watercolors and or gouache

The use of all of the above will be demonstrated in the class.