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 Just back  home from  an epic time painting on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for the Celebration of Art, Grand Canyon Conservancy 2022 Festival.

 https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/celebration-of-art/

Dazzled by the immensity, the earths shaping, the glancing warm and cool lights on promontories and fissures such spirit stretching across skies from rising to blazing to setting sun, I was constantly reminded of being  just a speck - a tiny atom in the universe  - but oh so blessed to have this opportunity to a wonder in the world.

This annual event Celebration of Art, Grand Canyon Conservancy helps protect  this national park treasure and  celebrates the power of art to express the mystical connection between man, nature and spirit.

Every moment of the week was intense and surprising.

One evening at dusk after packing up my materials a stray light gleam found my easel and illuminated my painting. This is the best award I've ever received!

The painting, Village at Dusk, pastel 8x10 became my favorite of the week.

I painted in the company of many artists familiar with the park and  learned a lot. Each painting of my fellow artists alerted me to new insights about painting. See for yourself. View the online catalogue https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/celebration-of-art/ In the work of John Cogan, Elizabeth Black, Bill Cramer, Robert Goldman, Peggy Himmel, Susie Hyer to name but a few,  you might notice how atmospheric distance might be pink instead of blue, the structure and layers of sediment might be characterized by color or abstracted geometry, a foreground  tree might provide a frame of reference to swaths of atmosphere beyond or a sense of safety. Nothing can be set in stone, however,  as each day is different and is appreciated with new eyes!

This year the darkness and restriction of two days of monsoon amplified our sense of liberation and  freedom on the return of the sun.

Thursday's Sunrise, Pastel 12x24

Friday was a glorious day for the Quick Paint near Mather Point.

 It was a beautiful sight to see when all the work of the week  hung in the Kolb Studio for the opening on Saturday.

This was my wall of  varied "postcards" from the edge!  I was honored indeed to receive a commendation of Best in Show for the body of work. 

The online website paintings https://shop.grandcanyon.org/collections/celebration-of-art

https://shop.grandcanyon.org/collections/margaret-larlham

The paintings remain on exhibition through Jan 23 2023 at the Kolb Studio and online.

I give heartfelt thanks to the the Grand Canyon Conservancy for this amazing life experience, to Kathy Duley, the director, and the many volunteers and finally to my dear husband Peter who was Uber/Sherpa/Photographer  and trusty companion on this adventure!