After the Open Studio Tour was over, we went for a short trip to Mt. Rushmore. I had never been there, though my husband had seen it several times. Seeing the monument was one of just a few things on my ‘bucket list.’ When I first saw the monument, I admit it brought tears to my eyes. I thought of what these great leaders would think of our political scene today, and how disappointed and perhaps disgusted they would be. But I also was in awe of the artistic feat - the finding and bringing out of these faces from the mountain. This sketch was done on site, standing and sketching with ink while holding my sketchbook. I decided to leave it as it, and not ‘fix it’ or add color.
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| I sketched this from a photo my husband had taken from the trail beneath the monument. |
We also went to the Crazy Horse memorial, and I sketched it the same way, just standing and sketching it in ink. I did decide to add some color to it, though. I would love to see this memorial completed. We drove from Mt. Rushmore to Crazy Horse on the amazing Iron Mt. Road, and I would recommend that drive to anyone who goes there! It is an engineering wonder, and naturally beautiful, especially with the fall colors. The ‘pigtail’ bridges and tunnels with views of Mt. Rushmore are worth experiencing.
After a couple of days at Mt. Rushmore, we went to see Devil’s Tower. I did this sketch on site, including the color. As I sat in the shade and looked at it, more and more colors became evident to me. Though it is always pictured just in greys, it is actually very colorful! My husband was hiking around it as I sketched and he said all the colors come from various mosses and tiny plants growing in the cracks that go all the way up.
I always try to keep track of wildlife on our trips, though we were disappointed to not see the wild donkeys that are supposed to be somewhere near there. We did see a lot of antelope and deer ‘roaming and playing.’
On our way back home we stopped at Independence Rock in Wyoming. It is on the Oregon Trail, and was evidently a stopover for those on the trail, who would sign their names and the date on the large rock. Unfortunately, most of the names are unreadable, as they are covered now with moss and lichen. But it was a nice break as we drove through the never-ending state of Wyoming. The folks on the Oregon Trail probably thought that, as well.
Since the election results came out, I have been trying to stay away from the depressing news as much as possible. Fortunately, the people I follow on social media (IG) are mostly artists who feel as I do about kindness, generosity, and the importance of diversity and tolerance. So I am enjoying ‘coping’ along with them, and trying to be creative, anyway. Which is what artists do, and must do, in difficult times. I admit I’ve not been able to weave the ‘happy yellow’ piece on the loom this past week, but I’ve continued to sketch, and my sketches are beginning to be more colorful and less depressed. I hope you find ways to cope, as well, if you are, like many creative people, worried and anxious about our future.
