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quidditian Posts: 46
3/14/2010
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I painted this diptych last night, entitled "Anza Diablo," so named because of Anza's insidious lure...as I explained to an artist friend, "I wanted to draw the pieces of the desert...I wanted to replicate the colors, the forms, the boulders, the perfect simplicity, but there's simply no way to do it any justice, especially not with my means, so I just had to go commando."
Ignore the last pic...it's in there for an art foum pal.
http://picasaweb.google.com/Quidditian/AnzaDiablo#
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
3/14/2010
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Cayenne,
I think you captured the colors and texture pretty well. Those are beautiful. I had to look up diptych to know what that was. Do you hang/exhibit them on above the other like that. Have you heard the term "desert varnish?" Your art reminds me of desert varnish. It is the dark shiny part of the rock. Picture 5 in your series comes pretty close although it may be a bit shinier than usual but hey that is artistic license. The huge rock in this picture is in a place called Papoose Flats in the Inyo Mountains. You can see some desert varnish on it. Look to the lower left side of the arch. There's not a lot there but I couldn't find a picture that showed a lot.
Also the Indians would carve petroglyphs into the desert varnish as in this picture from Canyonlands. It is from a place called Newspaper Rock.
What did you use to give your work that 3D look? I think you have the desert bug for sure!
By the way homage was one of our vocabulary words last week in class and your work definitely pays homage to the desert.
David
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quidditian Posts: 46
3/14/2010
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D,
Thank you -- I wish I could really capture the essence -- hold it, ingest it, express it, then walk away and never bother with it again, but art doesn't get to imitate life so easily. Even good photos don't capture the full sensory experience of it. So annoying.
"Diptych" is an obnoxious term -- unwieldy. I'm actually thinking of making it a triptych, just so it doesn't suffer through life as a diptych, with the center portion being pure texture of something in ivory with shadows or maybe a light gold and burnt sienna wash -- something to break the chaos of what feels like the night sky when the universe is looking down and laughing at your circumstances.
I'm not married to the arrangement of them. In fact, I don't know where to sign them, because people have expectations about where a signature should be, but I also like the notion that people can arrange the pieces in whatever way speaks to them more (or less) clearly <---depends what they're after. Some seek clarity, others seek escape. I'm an either/or kinda gal, I suppose. I usually know where to sign, though. Not so on these. It's hard with pure abstraction -- there's no "action" to dictate their orientation. The devil head (if it's even visible to most peeps) can be turned either way without detracting from the overall feel, because the feeling is (supposed to be) chaos and the fear and freedom that accompanies such.
I haven't heard of this desert varnish, but I love the term. Someone should make it the name of a product! I'll buy a lot of it, for the name alone. I BELIEVE in it.
That pic is particularly shiny because I'm a particularly lousy photographer, and failed to turn off the flash.
The rock in this pic is architectural perfection. Is this Papoose Flats in Anzo? If it were hollowed out, it would be a princess palace (provided it had a/c). Is the desert varnish the deeper earth tones? I'm thinking I see it if that's the case. Love it. Will never succeed in replicating it, but will die happy whilst trying. I love opportunities to use "whilst," though I may be using it incorrectly.
Newspaper Rock is magnificent! What dark and delicious colors...what a mean snake! It appears to be a snapshot of my last job... the CEO and COO in fat-cat muu-muus freaking out that they're not advancing revenue for the shareholders, HR guys coming in and shooting peeps in the booty for not picking up all the slack of the 60% of the work force that's been laid off, Bigfoot (CFO) coming through to figure out what's wrong, but only further delaying the re-re-re-invention of the wheel in the process, and meanwhile the wheel that will eventually be re(x 3)-invented is stalled because no one can figure out how to commence the initial re-inventing without ****ing somebody off, and most people have forgotten the wheel even exists, despite the fact the company was built on the wheel. Those who remember a wheel existing can't figure out where it's been stored, or even whether the storage bill has been paid in the last decade.
Not that I'm bitter and/or jaded. :}
My 3D stuff is built up from shreds of a baptist hymnal, National Geographics, back pages of the Oxford English Dictionary, and pretty colors of gift tissue. I adore texture, but it generally takes a while to dry the layers, so I randomly build texture over failed previous paintings while simultaneously messing with other stuff. No effort or scrap of crap is wasted around here. Failed pieces become the eventual foundation for future pieces. My artistic process is cheesily analogous to life. Screw up, move on, build up, make beauty. Repeat as needed, until completed.
I am humbled to have properly homaged. <---okay, so I made it up -- it makes sense(ish), right? :]
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
3/14/2010
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The desert varnish is the darker part of the rock. I think you found it. I will look through my old photos and find a better example. Papoose Flat is in the Inyo Mountains. If you drive north on I 15 and then take 395 north from the top of Cajon Pass then drive on 395 for a couple hours you will be in the Owens Valley. On your west will be the Mighty Sierra and on your right will be the Inyo Mountains. Papoose Flat is about halfway between Independence and Big Pine (two towns in the Owens Valley). It is about 8,500 feet in elevation and a fantastic place to visit. Not technically desert but it is high and dry dominated by sage mostly. In the spring though it is an beautiful place and not many people make it up into those mountains.
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quidditian Posts: 46
3/14/2010
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Do you think my little ancient 626 will make it up okay? No major issues with the car (knock on wood), but now I'm paranoid about boldly going where no old lady sedan has gone before. It can take uphill, as long as it's a livable grade.
And while I "have" you...when I moved to San Diego, I came in on the 10 (from Florida)...eventually the 8, but not sure at what point the 8 happened -- i'm thinking it was right outside of the city, but I could be wrong. I was in love with this martian landscape I encountered, maybe 1.5 hours outside of SD...huge red rocks, like sand drippings, and perfect lifelessness. Nothing green, nothing moving. I remember there were signs to turn off one's radiator during summer. It seems like when I emerged from that place I was in a high elevation area, because the clouds were level with houses. Being from the flat Florida, this was awe-inspiring. I've asked natives about it, asked them where they thought I was with the red drippy rocks, and they've looked at me like I'm crazy. I've come to learn, though, that a lot of native San Diegans have never been to AB.
Do you think it was possible that I was driving through Hellhole area? It seemed, when I recounted to people, that it was named "hell-something," but then in retrospect I wondered if I was scrambling the memory with my visit to Hell's Halfacre in Wyoming.
Any clue? would one venture through AB on a normal southern route across the state? I think this is the route I took:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=404+Ohio+Pl,+Sarasota,+Florida+34236&daddr=4327+hamilton+place+92104&geocode=FesRoQEdbZsU-ykXk3IPbEDDiDGnAHC1dfKwXg%3BFc_Q8wEdG6QE-SndP3sT-1TZgDHFwJ7q3ECRyw&hl=en&mra=pe&mrcr=0&sll=34.020778,-99.836064&sspn=20.700054,53.569336&ie=UTF8&ll=30.145127,-99.624023&spn=21.575429,53.569336&t=h&z=5
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
3/14/2010
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Cayenne,
If you are asking if your 626 will make it to Papoose Flat, the answer is no, you need four wheel drive for that. Check out this picture that is taken from the southwest looking into the Flat and you will want to go there for sure. It is an amazing place. The arch rock from the other picture is at the end of the short side road that is just to the left of center and a little above center. That should give you some idea of how huge those bouder formations are.
Unfortunately to access many desert places that are off the beaten track you need four wheel drive. You don't always need it but that first time you get stuck without it you will never want to not have it. Does that make sense?
The area you came through on your way into SD is a prime area to see desert varnish. It covers the boulders on both sides of the highway. That area up there right above the desert with all the big boulders is called Jacumba. If your were to go back out that way now you will see it is very green and not at all lifeless.
As you began to climb the mountains out of the desert, if you looked to the north you saw the Piedras Grande area that Bob and I have discussed on this forum. If you are interested in desert with big boulders then you should go here and you should also check out Joshua Tree. It has lots of paved roads and graded dirt roads with beautiful desert scenery. It gets pretty crowded this time of year but it is still worth the drive.
If I could suggest one book to get to help you find some places you can go to in SD, it would be "Afoot and Afield in San Diego County" by Jerry Schad. It will tell you many places you can go and will let you know if you need four wheel drive or not.
David
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quidditian Posts: 46
3/14/2010
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Wow. Serious wow. Ridiculously beautifully martian and otherworldly.
"you don't always need it but that first time you get stuck without it you will never want to not have it. Does that make sense?"
Haha. Yes. *wipes sweat from brow at the shadow of the memory*
I don't ever want to deal with the Font's Point Panic again. My sis said next time I go I should take her truck. I think it's an Escalade? It's big and ugly, that's all I know. Well, it's pretty and shiny as trucks go, I've just never thought of myself as a big-ass truck woman, but I certainly now know that I'll need to become one if I'm to start sniffing around all the best parts... Sis and I have both always done wildlife rescue, but I stuck mostly to possums which conveniently fit in my car, and she went for large mammals, so eventually got a big honkin' truck. I hope it's automatic, but I'll bet it's not. Now I'm going to strip her gears learning to drive stick in her big ugly truck. YAY!
Maybe I should just make her come with me, and she can drive. Might be nice to have some bonding time with her. We haven't had much time alone for about thirty years. Come to think of it, maybe the offer for the truck was hoping for an invite. She knows I don't drive stick. I've let my love of silence shut her out. I DID think about asking if she wanted to join me at the crappy motel and do a couple of hikes together, but I didn't want her to think she needed to if she didn't want to. She works too hard, is always traveling... and, of course, I wanted to be alone.
You know how Bob said he felt like he was the only person on earth when he did a solo in the summer? I love that feeling... I like to think that I can look at a chunk of land and pretend it's my last day on earth, and no one else is making static, starting wars, etc. Like there's a final exit, and we're finally going to stop torturing the place. In Florida, my happy place was a stretch of beach where there were no lights and/or any other evidence of humanity. I found perfect peace in being there and contemplating the last chapter of Brave New World.
The Joshua Tree suggestion is good -- an maybe emptier during the week. Nice call! I think I saw mention of this Schad book on PBS at some point...or maybe they were giving copies away for certain contribution levels during a fund drive? Either way, I've somehow heard of it. I'll get a copy.
Thanks much!
Oh, and I'm glad to know I didn't hallucinate the beautiful landscape on the way in to SD county. I'll Google Earth it
Testing pic embeding...may cause funkiness.
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
3/16/2010
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Hey Cayenne,
I see you more as a Toyota Land Cruiser or 4runner person than an Escalade Person 
My Camry owner neighbors that we drove out to Pinyon Wash last weekend are now convinced they need a 4WD vehicle.
having 4WD does give you a certain level of confidence.
I am coming to the fast realization that David is very knowledgeable of Anza Borrego Desert.
I am glad he is on the forum.
I also like your creative descriptions and sense of humor so I am glad you have spent time on the forum also.
I have to fix that image upload thing. It seems to mess up the files if they are too large.
Bye for now,
Bob
<em>edited by surfponto on 3/16/2010</em>
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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quidditian Posts: 46
3/17/2010
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Wellllll...I once remarked to a former boss that I need a personal driver, and she pinged back that I'm really more of a private jet kind of girl. Not so much for the snootyness factor, but for the deep and abiding hatred of driving (sure, like I'd be any less neurotic flying?)
It's great to have you guys as a resource, and even if I never get to go back to AB for any length of time, I love living vicariously through your reports and pictures.
For sake of clarity, I was reminded that sis's big-honkin'-truck is the Honda version that looks like the trucky-Escalade. Shows how much attention I pay to things with wheels. :]
Now, to find a nice time-lapse version of an agave stalk growing...
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
3/17/2010
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Time lapse of an Agave ! That would be totally cool.
quidditian wrote:
Wellllll...I once remarked to a former boss that I need a personal driver, and she pinged back that I'm really more of a private jet kind of girl. Not so much for the snootyness factor, but for the deep and abiding hatred of driving (sure, like I'd be any less neurotic flying?)
It's great to have you guys as a resource, and even if I never get to go back to AB for any length of time, I love living vicariously through your reports and pictures.
For sake of clarity, I was reminded that sis's big-honkin'-truck is the Honda version that looks like the trucky-Escalade. Shows how much attention I pay to things with wheels. :]
Now, to find a nice time-lapse version of an agave stalk growing...
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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