national parks

 For those that may not know, I graduated in '92 from the University of Alabama, and I'm a huge fan of the Crimson Tide. My Dad (UA '68) and I are currently in route via car to Pasadena, CA for the Citi BCS National Championship Game. I Saturday from Atlanta, picked him up in Alabama, and we are now in Twentynine Palms, CA. This morning, we drove from Gallup, NM and visited the Petrified Forest National Park. Petrified Forest exceeded my expectations and we both were fascinated by the scenery and the history behind the petrified wood you see all over the park. I did this painting of The Blue Mesa. I was drawn to the interplay of the snow with the desert and rocks. 

Dad makes a great companion for painting. He loves to drive around and doesn't mind reading and walking around while I work. Tomorrow morning we are going to Joshua Tree National Park.

Oh, and curious about the picture of me there? That is me with the 

Heisman Trophy, taken this November. I think my presence with the trophy brought Mark Ingram some luck. You see, Alabama won the 1964 National Championship when my Dad was in school, and the 1992 National Championship when I was in school. My brother is currently a senior at Alabama and we are playing for the 2009 title Thursday. So obviously we have been good karma for the team. I call it "The Thacker Factor". In this picture I'm wearing my replica of the Crimson Tide's 1931 Rose Bowl uniform. I had it made in 2006 and I've worn it to one game each year. And I'm very excited to actually wear it for the second time this season in the Rose Bowl itself.

There is nothing like spending the day on and in an active volcano. Kate and I were at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is a phenomenal experience. We hiked the Kiauea Iki trail, which first skirts around the rim and then through the floor of a crater full of steam vents. We ate lunch at the Volcano House which features a buffet and a view of the main Kilauea caldera.

One of the many fine things about the Chattahooche River is that you get to call it "The Hooch". You also can enjoy it within the Perimeter of Atlanta (I-285). Today was a great day to be out there. Kate and our bluetick Illy joined me for a fun day hanging on a little beach area in the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area. There were several families and dozens of dogs for Illy to meet and charm with her easy going hound dog personality. I was able to catch her in a typical pose of hers while wading around.

I had a busy weekend, but managed to squeeze out a digital painting based on a photo I took in the Shenandoah Valley. One awesome thing about the digital painting is that you can focus and learn a lot of lessons valuable in any medium. Naturally, many of these come to mind after you finish the painting.

Right now I'm in the Big Easy and I spent the last day of 2008 painting at the Barataria Preserve. The preserve is part of the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park, just south of New Orleans. I started the day with a serene and peaceful hike through the swamp and finished it with this painting of a very interesting old tree on a mound called a midden. If you have been reading my posts for a while, you will sometimes read about the challenges of plein air painting. Unlike the studio, painting outdoors often makes demands of the artist beyond just the painting itself.

Last Sunday wrapped up the TFAS 2008 (www.thetelephonefactoryartshow.com). Many thanks to Judge, Grant and Michelle for their hard work making it happen. Also thanks to the Fireball Collective (www.fireballcollective.com) for participating in the show with us. Also thanks to Kate for the wonderful food and to all my friends that stopped in to support the show. We had a blast and I sold several pieces.