Grand Canyon Winter Storm

'Canyon Snow' 9x12 pastel

First let me wish all my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that everyone has a wonderful and relaxing day. Today's painting is another homework assignment. For this we were to paint something moody. This scene is from one of my photos from a trip we took to the Grand Canyon in January 2006. We arrived at the canyon and pulled into our first overlook late one winter afternoon. The sky had been dark and threatening the whole ride from Monument Valley. I was afraid we wouldn't see any of the canyon. But as we walked up to the Canyon's edge, the sun was breaking through the dark clouds making a most beautiful and very moody sky. It did snow...for the next 24 hours! Luckily we had a cabin at the Bright Angel Lodge right on the rim...where we spent the next 3 days cozy and warm with our own private window out into the Grand Canyon.