On our trip to Zion National Park I got the chance to practice my "plein aire sketch writing", which is basically - plant yourself somewhere outside and try to describe what's going on all around you.
One day while Tom was wandering along the length of the Virgin River, I sat on this large tree, worn smooth by weather and water, and tried to do just that. Those notes will be part of an essay I'm planning on the rivers we've run upon during our travels.
On the last couple of days at Zion they were holding a plein aire painting event called "In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran". Painters would paint the scenes from the same place that the famous landscape painter from 100 years ago worked. We saw these artists scattered all around the park, but we didn't go up to any of them.
Mostly because, I don't know how artists feel, but when I'm out in the wild and trying to take notes, it really works best when I can get into a zone, and I wouldn't like it if someone came up to me and asked me what I was doing.
It's only fitting I extend the same courtesy to the fine artist.
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