Where Condors Soar
By Bonnie McGee
24 x 36 in.
Oil
During the 13th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, 23 plein air artists from around the country gathered at Grand Canyon National Park to face the challenges the canyon presents to those who attempt to capture its beauty, its vastness, its depth, and its ever-changing light and weather patterns on canvas.
Bonnie McGee from St. George, Utah is one of this year’s participating artists. McGee’s artwork embodies a deep vocabulary of experience. She captures wild places with humility, acknowledging the smallness she feels in a grand landscape. Painting slows her down, allowing her to stand quietly observant to the beauty around her.
All of the participating Celebration of Art artists submit a Grand Canyon themed studio painting prior to the event. Regarding her studio painting “Where Condors Soar” (24 x 36 in.), McGee says:
“Many visitors to the Grand Canyon see it in mid-day light which washes out the colors to faded reds, greens and grays. The enormity of the chasm still inspires, and the rim walk still delights, but the day visitors miss the light show that only overnight guests experience. As the sun peeks over the eastern rim or dips low in the western sky, its rays illuminate the tallest mesas, setting them adrift like islands in a sea of blue. Abstract shapes emerge and shadows dance in a brief but spectacular light show. A plein air painter has only minutes to capture the drama. Later, in the studio, those plein air studies and photos evolve into a studio piece that hopes to capture the moment. I will never tire of painting sunrises and sunsets at the Grand Canyon.”
The work of these accomplished artists (both studio and plein air work) will be exhibited and available for purchase at Kolb Studio on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park through January 17, 2022 or online at:
https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/celebration-of-art/
For more information contact Kathy Duley at [email protected] or 480-277-0458.
