Last year we took a trip to Zion and the Grand Canyon, which, if you’re going to do those two back-to-back, that’s the right order to see them in because you will be blown away. While we were in Utah, camping by the Virgin River, it hit over 120º every day we were there midsummer. Not the best time to go. Thank God we had the river to keep us cool. The water felt so good!
On that trip we managed to scale Walter’s Wiggles, the switchback trail that climbs to Angel’s Landing, a prominent feature of the park. The wife took one look at the sketchy, cliffside trail that took you out the very end of the trial and said, “NOPE!” So I clambered out by myself fighting fatigue and a slowly building crowd of people swinging on the rock-anchored chains. A little bit of an adrenaline rush as you looked down the sheer face disappearing several hundred feet below.
It was worth it. To get those views of the entire stretch of the valley would have been near impossible anywhere else and you really feel like you earn it with almost an hour added on to the dozen or so miles that you piled on already.
That’s the inspiration for this 11 by 17 inch screen print. The beautiful rock colors, the huge scale of the valley, and the magnificent vantage points. It’s one for the books and if you have the fortune of being among those that braved the potential free fall, then I salute you!
Final print was three colors layered four times in an attempt to play with overprinting. It didn’t go quite as planned – newsflash, it never does – but it always looks good.
You can buy a print now via my website or,
Etsy now accepts guest check out – no registration needed! So you can pick up a print here, any time.
Copyright © 2017 Robert C. Olson
Robert C. Olson 