Santa Elena Canyon

 

Sketching Santa Elena Canyon in my travel journal while in Big Bend!  What an amazing place to capture in ink and watercolor.  The trail along the canyon climbs to this perch before hugging the wall and descending to the water quite a ways in.  Wild horses walked the bank before crossing the water, coming very close.  They are quite tame and walked towards me at the sound of my keys jingling. This is bear and cougar country, so I hook my keys on a belt loop when I'm hiking and painting.  I love putting these places into my travel journal. I've left room to write about the day's adventure on the left, and I'll fill that in when I get the chance.  Sketch first, write later is my Journaling motto.  Painting number 5099 in 5099 days. 

Bee Mountain

This beauty is right out our front window view in Terlingua, Texas.  It was the very first sketch I did on site, as the sun was setting.  After a bit of research, I found the name of this one is Bee Mountain.  It was so named because of the numerous bees that would build their hives in the crevices in the sides of this mountain until settlers eventually destroyed them in collecting the honey.  My daughter took a photo of three long horned goats on the side of it as they drove by!  It is so cool to see wildlife we never see in Missouri!  Painting number 5096 in 5096 days.