Just a five and a half hour drive from Las Vegas will find you in a magical, sandstone, forest wonderland. Joe’s Valley is known for its amazing boulders which have attracted climbers for several years. The rocks sit east of the Joe’s Valley Reservoir along with flowing rivers and cool climate conditions. While there, I took several photographs of the topography, trees, and rock formations that were visible. The piece I am currently working on is from a climbing trip I took in 2008 long before I settled in Las Vegas for the second time. Traveling with my dog was one of the best times of my life. We stopped at many famous climbing locations filled with fields of boulders. Joe’s Valley is a wonderful place to visit and has bouldering opportunities scattered throughout the forest.
My dog enjoyed drinking the water while I climbed on the rocks. He was a great scout for awesome trails and always made it to the top of a climb to ensure I found my way back to the ground. The particular boulder I chose to paint was not one I ended up bouldering. I was fascinated with the multiple stones held safely together in this space. The contrasts of the color spectrum were also a joy to behold. I am trying to paint from the memories of the trip as well from many years ago. I wanted to show purple and orange intertwined in every part of this boulder. I will post this painting on my social media platforms when it is finished and it will be available to purchase on my website. No prints will be made so it is one of a kind!
Also, the mug was purchased at a tea shop here in Las Vegas called Sheffield Spice and Tea Company if any of you are interested in gnomes like me. They also have many other mug options available at their store location. Thank you for reading and have a marvelous Monday!
-Karen Hilliard