A Prayer Vigil

I’m happy to share my latest painting, A Prayer Vigil.

Hitting my stride on a familiar hiking trail one day in Camp Verde, Arizona, about halfway in, a new pathway caught my eye. Curious, I and my embellished hiking stick turned right to investigate it further. 

Another trail in Camp Verde gifted me the hiking stick. One may access the Clear Creek Trailhead from the gravel parking lot past the campground off Highway 260.

I hadn’t used a hiking stick in five years. But the path near the creek insisted I have it. Shortly I found it handy to steady myself when crossing the roaring sap green creek water on a log.

I began the stick’s embellishment by wrapping a ripped strip of painted canvas around the top of it and down about four inches. I like the aesthetic of the wheat color of raw canvas with the colors of turquoise, lime green, and red-brown. The cloth guards from splinters and aids my hand’s comfort. I’ll add beads or other beautiful adornments over time - a walking stick-in-process.

I returned in a few days to paint the newly discovered scene on the opposite side of a much-loved mountain I had painted twice. This new vista intrigued me.

A shapely pine tree sits at the bottom of the white rocky hill where the path leads to it. Sedona’s red rock mountains appear pink, seen far off in the distance. The blue and green mountains of Camp Verde are near in sight.

“While Sedona is famous for its red rocks, the landscape surrounding Camp Verde is known for its stark white rock.” - Visit Camp Verde website.

Bright white rocks comprising minerals and sediment lend a loose texture to the hill. Wildflowers in blooms of varying hues of yellow, shocking red, carnation pink, and matronly mauve dot the hillside. Their leaves in cool and warm shades of green add contrast and interest.

The sunlight shining just behind the hill cast long shadows, adding dramatic flair to the view. I finished the painting afterward in a couple of studio sessions. 

Article Source: The Land of White Rocks

A Prayer Vigil, Oil on Canvas, 11 x 14 inches.

This original painting will be available 6-12 months after it dries.

You may purchase it now as a print, a greeting card, and more.