Jessica L Bryant

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Badlands Residency Day 13


April 3, 2012

Spent the morning updating my website with the two paintings I've finished so far. Had a bite to eat, then got out the brush. Instead of working on sage creek, I wanted to do something fast and wild. I stretched another full sheet, and slammed together a finished painting in about 4 ½ hours. Unreal. Not sure what I think of it, I'm withholding judgment until I see it in daylight. Regardless, the fact that I'm wanting to paint this way is baffling.  It is as if I am another person here.

 After finishing, I sat on my porch with a bag of carrots, watching the birds. Ed came by, and I suggested a hike behind the quad. Steven joined us. I climbed to the top of many of the buttes, and we walked all the way back to the fence at the edge of the park boundary.  Saw the resident herd of mule deer, and Ed said they should be fawning this month, which will be fun to see.  The sunset was absolutely spectacular. Wish I had brought my camera along, but it is much easier to climb higher without the uneven weight. We walked back as twilight set in, then headed to meet Ryan, Tricia, and John at the wagon wheel. After that some of us watched a movie at Ryan's place. Tomorrow my plan is to spend the day hiking. Steven and I are going to go together and bring one of the rangers' radios with. It's so nice to be able to have that bit of safety net when hiking in the remote areas of the park.

Today's music: Postal Service, Such Great Heights - it's fitting, as you'll see when I post the painting tomorrow.