One of the Last Remaining Wild Corners

“If we can teach people about wildlife, they will be touched. And humans want to save the things they love.” ~ Steve Irwin

“Big Bend National Park goes from an elevation of less than 1,800 feet along the Rio Grande, to nearly 8,000 feet in the Chisos Mountains. The park includes massive canyons, vast desert expanses, forested mountains, and an ever-changing river. Winters in Big Bend are generally mild, with the occasional short cold snap. Usually, the skies are clear, and daytime highs can run into the 70’s or higher. Under clear skies, however, it gets colder at night, sometimes freezing. With diverse wildlife across its many ecosystems, the park supports over 450 bird species, large mammals such as black bears, mountain lions, and javelinas, desert-bighorn sheep, elk, and even wild horses. Here you can explore one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States.” ~ NPS

Day 79 ~ SE-79-25

Amazing Variety

 "Big Bend National Park is located in Southwest Texas, a considerable distance from cities and transportation hubs. The park's varied habitats support an amazing variety of wildlife, including 11 species of amphibians, 56 species of reptiles, 40 species of fish, 75 species of mammals, more than 450 species of birds, and about 3,600 species of insects.” ~ NPS

Day 78 ~ SE-78-25

Jackson Hole Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park is located within the Jackson Hole valley in northwestern Wyoming. Ten miles south of Yellowstone, it is much smaller, about one-seventh the size of Yellowstone Park. A diverse variety of mountain terrain and captivating wildlife can be observed and enjoyed here, on foot or in a car. There is a 42-mile scenic loop of its breathtaking scenery which can be completed in about two hours.

 Day 75 ~ SE-75-25

In The Register of Historic Places

“The Bass Harbor Head Light Station is located in Tremont, Maine, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay on the southwest corner of Mount Desert Island. Among about 80 lighthouses across Maine, it is one of three lights managed by Acadia National Park, including two others on Baker Island and Bear Island. It appeared on the America the Beautiful quarter in 2012, the NPS centennial postage stamp in 2016, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.”~ NPS Acadia National Park protects more than 47,000 acres and is known for its large moose populations and suitable habitats."

 Day 74 ~ SE-74-25 

Many Ways To Explore Acadia

"Acadia National Park may appear small on a map, but the park encompasses nearly 50,000 acres along the Atlantic Coastline of Maine, including Mount Desert Island, Schoodic Peninsula, Isle au Haut, and other outer islands. 60 miles of coastline, 33 miles of scenic motor roads, 45 miles of carriage roads, and more than 150 miles of hiking trails provide numerous ways to explore the park."

 Day 73 ~ SE-73-25

A Vast Diversity of Flora and Fauna

"The Everglades National Park spans across 1.5 million acres that stretch over the southern part of Florida.Visiting the Everglades allows you to explore a vast diversity of flora and fauna in different ecosystems: freshwater sloughs, marl prairies, tropical hammocks, pinelands, cypress, mangrove, coastal lowlands, marine, and estuarine." The Fight to stop Alligator Alcatraz.

Day 69 ~ SE-69-25

The Future Without Wilderness?

“I am glad I will not be young in a future without wilderness.”
~ Aldo Leopold

 Day 66 ~ SE-66-25

Drawing Flowers

These are a couple of five minute drawings with reference photos. At first, I am mainly concerned with composition and getting the feel of the subject down.

I am thinking of design, center of interest, movement, impact and exaggeration at this stage of the game.

Sketching flowers may not be as simple as one might think. This is possibly due to the fact that we want to over simplify things and not really "see" the shapes we are drawing. This week's challenge will be to sketch flowers and make a pleasing composition using the Momma, Poppa, Baby Theory and the Rule of Thirds.  Here are some flower photos to sketch from. I also encourage you to sketch from life. You can see several of my finished paintings that demonstrate the two design principles I've mentioned here, on my Web Log today. This week's challenge is not just to sketch what you see in front of you, but to change sizes, directions and placement of elements. This is called artistic license and all accomplished artists use it. Begin by doing gesture sketches, studying the various shapes and noticing their differences. What I'm ultimately looking for is interesting shapes that lead the viewer's eye around the piece in a well designed composition. I will be expanding on this throughout the week.