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Showing posts with the label rock formations

Using Rock Formations As Inspiration For Copper Cuffs

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Perfect time for a fall road trip and going to Southern Utah seemed like a great idea.  Got the map and planned the trip to several places - some we've visited and some new.  At each of the parks. reserves and monuments, my eyes went to the rock formations.  They were very different in each of the places.  And yes, I took lots of pictures and it will take me a while to edit them for viewing.   When we returned home I simply had to let the formations inspire me.  What better medium to use than copper and what better technique than foldforming?  So I'm sharing my rock formations and the copper cuffs I made.  Just enjoy them!

Monument Valley – A Study of Rock Formations

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Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is located in Arizona and Utah and covers 91,696 acres.   It’s a place where you can almost feel time stand still and peace envelop you.   The large and varied rock formations were formed by erosion and range from 100 ft to 1500 ft tall.   Many of the formations have been given names – Elephant Butte, Camel Butte, The Three Sisters, Totem Pole and more.  Camel Butte (Can you see him?)  Tourism is big business here.   “The View” is a beautiful new hotel and every room has a view of the monuments.   We saw more rental RV’s than we could count.   And well over half the visitors were from other countries.   I was most interested in seeing the rock formations, the striations and faces of the rocks, the light and shadow as the sun moved across the sky.   The colors and textures made me want to get clay out and model while I observed the changes.    I have no doubt that this experience will have a major impact on my future

Canyonlands - Utah

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  Canyonlands is a wilderness of rock.   It is vast and sculptural and colorful.   It is fascinating to see the various rock formations, canyons, and mountains that make up the expanse of this National Park. There are three areas, Island in the Sky, The Maze, and the Needles.   The Maze and the Needles were a little too remote and needed a 4 wheel drive, lots of water and supplies.   We explored the Island in the Sky.   From the broad mesa, you can see views spread before you that stretch for a hundred miles in front of you and 1200 miles beneath you.   Views abound that take your breath away and are difficult to comprehend.     Rain is scarce but it is spring/summer and when we rounded a corner we had to stop and look.   There below the very tall rock formation were a lovely variety of wildflowers blooming.   What a sight! Yellow and purple wildflowers Quite the View! Lizards find rock shelves where they can bask or get into the shade to cool.  They really blen

A Study of Rock Formations, Textures and Colors – Day 1

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The first day of our trip led us through Flagstaff AZ with the beautiful juniper and pine forests, past Sunset Crater, Wupatki National Monument, and Navajo National Monument.   We stopped at those three places on the way home.   The Little Colorado River has a dramatic bridge alongside the road where we climbed around on rocks to look down into the river.   I started looking at the dry river bed with the idea of making texture plates for jewelry.   This one would be great to imbed in wet clay. Spaces were vast and sometimes the placement of the advertising made me smile! With lots of interesting cacti and wildflowers!  We wanted to get to Monument Valley and camp there for the night.   Never have I seen so many rental RV’s as I did on this trip.   All the campgrounds were full and this was early in the season!   We drove through the monument and took some side roads when all of a sudden we saw a very large arrow pointing into the ground with ‘Sleepin