Bodie, California: Beauty In Decay

"Men rush to California and Australia as if the true gold were to be found in that direction; but that is to go to the very opposite extreme to where it lies."~Henry David Thoreau

Human beings are by nature a curious and persistent lot. We are constantly seeking to improve ourselves through whatever means necessary. Take gold for example. Gold was the catalyst that created a huge influx of wealth and people into California in the 1800's. Bodie, California lies east of the Sierra Nevada, only 12 miles from the Nevada border. I had the chance to see this amazing town that lives in a state of "arrested decay" with my friend Jay this past August. 

Jay and I were in the midst of spending a week in Yosemite National Park, exploring its many wonders. We decided to leave the park and venture to Bodie for a day trip. A 3.5 hour drive northeast of Yosemite brought us to the dusty and rock-strewn road that breaks off from I-395. We then began a circuitous route around sandy mountains littered with dusty, dry bushes. It was HOT. August. The desert. Enough said. Yet we relished it...it was such a far cry from the cool mists of Vernal Falls and Yosemite Falls in the heart of Yosemite Valley.

Big sky country. Taking a break along the bumpy, 

12 mile stretch of unmaintained road towards Bodie.

As we drove along this road we marvelled at the unrelentingly stark landscape around us. We could not imagine living out here, much less in the ferocious winter months. After what seemed like hours a bend in the road brought us to our prize: Bodie. The buildings scattered on the hillside seemed dwarfed by the sky and sheer scale of our surroundings. 

Bodie's notorious reputation precedes it. Known as a den of inequity and crime in its hay day, all that remains now are whispers and ghosts of its past. As an artist and someone fascinated by the remains of activity in quiet places, it was Xanadu. There were no residents to tell the tales, no miners and bankers, mothers and husbands to share their happinesses and sorrows. There was only what they left behind in the spaces they used to inhabit. Haunting stuff. 

 A small barn slowly accepting the inevitable..

This old bed frame, cast aside, symbolized lives lived and long gone.

Bodie has been designated as a National Historic Site and thus has a small crew that works there on a full-time basis. They take tours out around town and supply visitors with answers to their questions. With a detailed map of present and the footprints of past structures in hand, Jay and I meandered around the town for the afternoon. Here are some photos of what we found...

A chopping block. I found this rather eerie.

Wires like arms outstretched..

 Jim, a convivial guide who offered tours of the mine that is usually closed to visitors.

Relishing the unique climate and feel of such a special place. 

Ontario seemed very far away..

Bodie is a testament to the adage that change is the only constant. The buildings were hastily and poorly constructed when the town began to boom in the 1870's. Thus when winter set, in a lack of insulation contributed to a high mortality rate. Crime was a daily reality as well. The town bell would ring each time someone lost their life. It rang very frequently. One little girl famously wrote in her diary when she learned of her family's move to Bodie: Goodbye God. I'm moving to Bodie."

 The Swayze Hotel in the foreground. Note the beam propping it up.

This side trip to Bodie will always stand out in stark contrast to the verdant climes of Yosemite that we had come to know and love in the days leading up to this day. Bodie in particular is a reminder that life is always hurtling quickly forward. It takes no prisoners. A sign in one building in town had a plaque that showed Bodie in various phases of its existence. "Nothing Endures But Change" Hericlitus said, and this quote lies above the photos. I could have spent weeks photographing this place...the rugged countryside and threatening sky seemed constantly poised to descend and swallow it up. It was eerie. It was beautiful. It was. 

Crumbling remains of the bank in Bodie.

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are."~Bertolt Brecht

"Self-Portrait, Smallest"

"The countenance is the portrait of the mind, the eyes are its informers."~Marcus Cicero

The only place that I have ever left that brought tears to my eyes is Alaska. "Self-Portrait, Smallest", oil on panel, 3"x4", symbolizes the vacuum I felt between the 49th state and my studio a few days after arriving back in Ontario, Canada, thousands of kilometres away.

13 wonderful days were spent in my favourite place, meeting new friends, reuniting with old ones and exploring new territory. My friend Jay and I camped and hiked in Denali National Park and spent lots of time in Fairbanks with my dear friend Ed and other good friends. Once you have friends and a community about you, it endears you even further to that land. It attaches itself to your bones and beckons you to return.. Perusing photos I had taken, a melancholia descended upon me and I knew I had to paint that impression. Could this be seen as melodramatic? Perhaps, but this is how it felt and thus it is the truth, and I had to capture it.

I think that often the smallest paintings can be receptacles for the greatest depth of emotion. These tiny paintings are often studies that depict moments of reflection, of poignancy, of quiet urgency. They are easily missed but if you notice them they challenge you to look away. Perhaps that is what I love about Alaska: it challenges me to look away from it when I am off in other places, working on other projects and exploring other landscapes. And perhaps the North, as a corollary, is where the true allure lies. This is what will take me to Greenland and Norway next year, yes further Arctic adventures are in store! Yet each time I gaze at this little painting I am reminded of the mist that lay low in the valleys of Denali National Park the morning we drove out, of the lone caribou that wandered towards us as we hiked along the park road, or of seeing Mt. McKinley out and perfect in its full glory on that special day. It is a small remembrance of a much larger experience. Here are some photos from that journey to provide context...

Driving towards Cantwell on the Denali Highway

Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North America was fully visible that day...

Driving out early in the morning from Denali National Park...6 million acres of beauty..

Technically, I spent a long time on this painting. Longer than I thought I would but the intricacy of the smaller details is what demanded further attention. Yes, I painted with small brushes, whisper-thin at a few hairs wide, but you are only as good as your brushes, in my opinion. You can mix colour with anything but the care taken when applying it is where true patience speaks and accuracy is essential. I enjoyed the lack of white, but mixing and applying variations of pale pumpkin all the way through to angry russets. Painting transitions is always something to pay close attention to: where the jawline recedes into the pillow behind it, where the creases in eyelids or hands intersect..it all must be considered. Unless I am under a tight deadline, I enjoy this task immensely.

This painting is on wood panel, which adds a bit of weight to it. It is comfortable in the hand...as seen here as I dropped the painting off at Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario:

I found out that there were clients waiting to see the painting the day before, when I had mentioned I would drop it off...what a wonderful feeling...to know that people are looking forward to seeing work before it has even dried. Joy!

Speaking of joy, I wish you a wonderful and brilliant day wherever you may be reading this post from...one day I will release a book with photography and paintings together, stitched together from different adventures and the impressions they have left upon me, as well as the beautiful souls encountered on the way.

"Your work is to discover your world and then
with all your heart give yourself to it."
~Buddha~

Yosemite National Park: Nature's Cathedral, Part 1

Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space. ~Ansel Adams 

It has been quite a while since my last posting but I have been accumulating a lot of blissful experiences traveling and exploring! I seek to embrace as much exploration as possible...there will definitely be a book of artwork and photography that comes from all of these travels!

I had the great pleasure of visiting Yosemite National Park last month. The park surpassed my expectations and let me tell you, they were high. I, like millions of people around the world, fell in love with the park while watching the Ken Burns special "National Parks: America's Best Idea" which aired last year. In fact, one park employee remarked that attendance in the park is expected to increase by 40% in 2010, due mainly to the Burns Special. Truly, Burns' photography painted a stunning wilderness tapestry with his series....he showed the park and the beauty of the High Sierra like nothing I had ever seen before. I remember goosebumps alternating with getting choked up by the beautiful cinematography.

My friend Jay from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and I had been planning this hiking/camping trip for over a year. We would camp for a week in Yosemite and then fly up to Denali National Park in Alaska. Pretty much a National Park dream-come-true :) Initially we were skeptical about our campground being so far away from Yosemite Valley but came to relish the cooler temperatures with the 1,000 ft elevation gain it had compared to the valley floor. Hodgdon Campground was beautiful for its giant Mariposa pines and fresh air....but I did have some issues with noisy neighbours for most of the week. Proximity is close between campsites so hopefully there aren't many people who snore :) However the group of ornithologists camped on our other side made for perfect neighbours...they were quiet and respectful.

Looking down an adjacent valley en route to Yosemite Valley...sublime!

The majestic El Capitan took our breath away

En route to Curry Village we stopped and walked through this meadow

Despite temperatures that rose to swelterings level during the high point of the day we relished the cooler evenings and higher elevation of our camp. Yosemite Valley was bustling with lots of people yet rarely felt "crowded". Curry Village was charming and well-equipped with a great climbing/gear store, a souvenir shop, a great pizza place, a larger hall that served buffet style meals every day, a cafe and a quiet area where WiFi was sporadic. Perhaps the granite cliffs all around us thwarted a decent signal but our goal was not to stay connected but to get away and explore. Jay and I have a deep respect for John Muir and Ansel Adams...both of whom were deeply passionate about the park and we understand why now.

Jay sitting by the sign towards Vernal Fals

We caught a glimpse of the falls on our way up. It was a steep, slippery climb but great fun!

Our climb up Vernal Falls didn't take very long but it had a steady flow of traffic and, being a narrow trail in sections, there was some waiting involved. Everyone was happy and excited to be there, you could tell...and who wouldn't be? I enjoyed the Mist Trail...the park was so healthy and clean...we hardly saw one piece of litter the whole time at Yosemite.

Vernal Falls

We hiked up to the top of Vernal Falls, a popular, steep hike with 900 ft elevation in a short time. On our way back down I spotted some Amish people ascending up the trail. I thought that they looked beautiful and was fascinated. I looked away as they passed because I did not want them to think I was staring at them. I took a quick shot with my camera that I lined up quickly and candidly, having no idea what I would capture, if anything....

But there they were in the frame...

Vernal Falls was a great hike for our first day. We acquainted ourselves with the valley and rented bicycles in the afternoon that we rode out to Mirror Lake. Lots of people rent bikes for the day in the park as there is minimal car traffic and lots of paved areas and unpaved trails to travel on. The ride to Mirror Lake was mostly uphill but a low grade which we appreciated given the heat of the day. Mirror Lake is an area frequented by children and families who want to splash in the clear waters and admire the granite cliffs that surround the park. Part of the trail in the area was closed off recently due to a rockslide but just standing at the water's edge gave us a huge sense of peace. I waded into the water and would have spent the entire day there but there was so much left to see...one doesn't have to push oneself to scale up craggy trails to find great joy. I'm sure Thoreau often found bliss contemplating a blade of grass or a flower. I believe it is not the distance that one travels but how you contemplate and feel about what you have seen that matters most.

Mirror Lake..it is easy to see where it gets its name from..

Half Dome never seemed far away from us....it is so vast you can see it from many miles away.

 Granite veins that seem to provide a life force to the valley and park.

The setting sun filtering through the trees at Hodgdon Meadow

We had read that the Tiger Lillies were blooming in Hodgdon Meadow so we found the trail and walked out in the evening sun...it was peaceful and quiet with the perfume of campfires wafting from the campground nearby. The lilt of laughter could be heard from far off...people relishing the place as well..for they, like we had the pleasure of embracing the magic of Yosemite for that week....

I am heading to France for two weeks for a painting commission but I will blog more about Yosemite and Alaska upon my return. Have a beautiful day and savour every moment...

Heather

Sunlight through the Tiger Lillies blooming in Hodgdon Meadow

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.

~Henry David Thoreau

Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless

"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." ~Christopher McCandless

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce new information about the forthcoming DVD and book, "Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless". There will be over 300 photographs that Chris took on his odyssey of self-discovery and exploration from 1990-1992.


The official release date for the book and DVD is June 15th, 2011!!


There will be writings from Chris and those who knew and were close to him. All of these materials cohere together to form a portrait of a unique and gifted young man, a man who has touched countless people with his story and life. This book will allow readers to follow in Chris's footsteps as he chronicled his adventures with camera and pen, living life on the cusp of the unknown. You will meet the friends that he met and made, seeing them as he saw them along the open road that he followed so faithfully. 

From the moment I saw Chris's photographs when I visited Walt and Billie in Virginia I was deeply moved...something had to be done with these beautiful images. The world needed to see Chris's vision through is own eyes. I have created and am still working on a body of work surrounding Chris's story and have created paintings based on some of his photographs.

I have an upcoming exhibition of paintings inspired by the life and travels of Christopher McCandless. The exhibition will have its opening reception on June 3rd from 7-10pm. I will also be at the gallery on Saturday, June 4th from 2-4pm for guests who were not able to make the opening reception the night before. I hope to see you there! To see the full selection of available paintings related to Chris's story please visit my website here!

Chris's Pack, Stampede Trail, oil on panel, 24"x36"

An Aesthetic Voyage:

Painting Inspired By The Life And Travels

 Of Christopher McCandless

June 3-18th, 2011

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Opening Reception June 3rd, 7-10pm

June 4th, Artist in attendance from 2-4pm 

If you are interested in any of these paintings you can contact the gallery toll-free at 

1-866-844-4481 or at mail@abbozzogallery.com 

"Diary Of A Supertramp (study)", oil on panel, 8"x10"

"To The Sea", oil on canvas, 24"x36"

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."~Henry David Thoreau

I recently visited Bus 142 on the Stampede Trail where Chris spent his final four months in the summer of 1992. I had last visited this special place 2 years previously. Here are a few photographs that I shot while there. 

Most of the windows are smashed now but efforts have been made to 

place cardboard over them, keeping the elements at bay a bit.

The suitcase left in the bus by Chris's parents is still there, 

along with his bible from when he was a child.

I gathered a small bunch of wildflowers and placed them by

the plaque that Walt and Billie had installed years ago.

           Eventually it was time to leave, but it had been wonderful to return for awhile...

Have a beautiful day and I will post more updates soon!!

Heather

"A Special Meal"

"I once had a sparrow alight on my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a village garden,

and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than

I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn" ~Henry David Thoreau

"A Special Meal", oil on panel, 24"x18", was a painting that needed to be completed from the moment I saw the photograph on which it is based. I was in Virginia visiting with Chris McCandless's parents Walt and Billie, and they generously showed me the photographs that Chris took on his two year odyssey from 1990-1992. The vast majority of the photographs were beautiful, informative, poignant. However a handful stood out to me as truly iconic. That man had some seriously wonderful skill with a camera, a carefully composed eye, and I was moved to tears looking through them.

I am fascinated by subtlety, by the hint of movement, by the careful yet spontaneous placement of objects, body language and expressions. This painting clearly shows a deliberation, a method, Chris's plan of laying out this special meal for himself in Bus 142 on the Stampede Trail. He composed the table setting as he composed all of his photographs-with care and planning. When I first saw it I was struck with how happy he must have been to survey this pocket of civility that he had created in such a rough and raw landscape.

A knife that Chris probably acquired from Jan Burres, a friend of his who he met in California is set on a faded napkin. A spoon from his childhood home in Annandale is there as well, along with a fork and various pans and bowls that hunters have left in the bus over the years. A green tin is smoking to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Bug dope and his camera case are situated next to other jars and perhaps some rendered moose fat in a jar. Some berries sit in a bowl, perhaps to be enjoyed as a desert, or perhaps as a condiment for the moose meat in the bowl. There is an undeniable energy here. There is the expectation and the knowledge that he probably enjoyed this meal very much. It echoes back to how despite the most primitive conditions, we often revert to customs and habits and are ingrained within our beings at the deepest level.

This painting has been two years in the making. It has sat in the back of my mind while I worked on my "Newfoundland Portraits" exhibition last year, and it has stayed there while I have completed commissions for clients and other personal work. But at last I was able to begin it while staying for five weeks in Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory in May. I wanted to paint it on board because the thickness and texture reminded me of the makeshift table that Chris used. It had a rough, natural quality to it that I liked.

After visiting Bus 142 for a third time, just three weeks ago now, I still look fondly at objects in this painting that remain in the bus. I do hope they remain there for visitors to see who have come to pay respect to Chris and his journey. I have now completed about 13 paintings based on Chris's photos and experiences. If you wish to see the other paintings I have completed about Chris click on the numbers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,.  Although I never met him, I am able to try to see through his eyes as I paint the landscapes and moments that he deemed special, that means something to him. It is important to not rush past places of beauty, but to really see them for what they are. I paint to understand, to examine, and to become familiar with things that compel me to put brush to canvas. Whether it be the human form, the curve of a hillside, or eating utensils, it is what they represent that is alluring. For they then cease to be just an object and instead become what energy and memory we attach to them.


I will be posting new information soon on this blog and my other blog, Heather's Paintings and Musings about an upcoming DVD and Book of Christopher's photos and writings. Anyone who has been moved and/or affected by the life of this extraordinary young man should see/read them!


If you wish to find out more about Chris, his life, and the Memorial Fund created in his name to help needy children please visit: 


Christopher McCandless Info 
and
Chris's Purpose

"You shall above all things be glad and young.

 For if you're young, whatever life you wear it will become you;

 and if you are glad whatever's living will yourself become." ~e.e. cummings

Hiking In The Ibex Valley: Whitehorse and The Yukon 2010

"I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth."

~Steve McQueen

I knew for three weeks about this hike. It haunted me a bit, frightened me a bit, thrilled me too. 27 km in 6 hours? It seemed rather ambitious yet I was up for the challenge. My friend Ian, whose house I was sitting (along with his cats) in Whitehorse, YT, told me before departing for Uzbekistan, that a small group of us would do a good hike before my flight back to Ontario. He explained it was across the floor of the Ibex Valley, a gorgeous region of land 25km north of Whitehorse. We would use two cars, one at our extraction point and one at the beginning of the trail. Here is a map of the Ibex Valley. Our hike looped below the Alaska Highway and met back up with it via a side road.

We organized our gear at the start of the trail. I was excited to try my Osprey daypack, a Kestrel 28L, as I knew it would be the perfect place to put it through its paces, as well as being handy for many future day hikes. There were four of us in total, and we headed out on trail which is usually frequented by bikers, ATV enthusiasts and skiers in the winter.

The trail was mostly flat, with a few rolling hills but no steep ascents or descents. We made good time and chatted amiably amongst ourselves. I was glad I had packed lots of water and some Gatorade, as well as lots of food. It is amazing how quickly you become depleted when hiking, especially if you are hiking at a good clip. I had forgotten my Camelbak in Ontario but it was easy to drink while hiking with the side pockets on the pack. I didn't want to slow the group down and was determined to keep pace with them. All three of my friends are consummate Yukoners, seasoned hikers, used to multi-day treks and much more ambitious excursions than this one. Thus I wanted to prove my mettle by not lagging on the trail.

As we crested a ridge I caught sight of a beautiful perspective...snow capped mountains as far as the eye could see. I looked out, loving the thought that they were so untampered with, not trodden upon by many people at all...the land free to breathe as it wished.

You can see from this photo the angle of the sun was quite distinctive. I wish I could articulate what it is about light and the North, what makes it so unique. I'm sure it must have to do with the latitude and angle of the sun, but from this artist's perspective I can only appreciate the effect it has on me rather than analyzing why it is the way it is. At times it is almost diaphanous, thin like the air, gauze-like. It's rays reach like a filigree over the earth. It bewitches.

Here are a couple of the many MANY bear tracks we saw on the trail. The earth was sandy and it was easy to make out the tracks...fortunately they were going in the opposite direction! The top photo shows an adult black bear while the shot below is a cub. We had bear mace and tried to make noise so as not to surprise them and reduce the chance of a potentially nasty encounter.

About 9 miles along the trail we approached a lake where my friends knew would be a perfect spot to stop for lunch. I asked Ian and the group about living in the Yukon and listened to them talk knowledgeably about animal tracks and previous adventures in the North. It is certainly a land of extremes: extreme climate, beauty, potential, serenity, and certainly extreme fortitude.

The vista took my breath away. My heart sang with gratitude that I was seeing this and experiencing this special place. We only passed a handful of people on the trail, all of whom were on bikes. They seemed a bit incredulous that we were hiking rather than biking the distance. As we neared the lake I could discern that it had a glorious turquoise colour, a quiet gem in the wilderness. A few birds were around but, as in Alaska, the enormity of the landscape made birdsong few and far between...silence predominated.

So many greens and soft colours composed the landscape. It was as though the earth was waiting to open with vibrancy and colour in a few weeks of warmer weather.

Although I knew the waters would be frigid I had an urge to jump into the lake, to break that still mirror reflecting the mountains above it.

After lunch we continued on, covering ground quickly. We spotted a few elusive Dall sheep up on the mountains to our left...small specks of white contrasted with the dark shale. We marvelled at their habitat, such a precarious life, their survival depending on their surefootedness.

After six hours we made it back to the car that we had left as a shuttle for ourselves. My feet ached but the rest of me was happily exhausted, a great day of exploration and companionship behind us. In times of sickness or fatigue, when I am in a crowded waiting room or on the subway, I think back to this day, use these memories as food to carry me through the trying times. It takes one to truly appreciate the other.

We discover that nothing can be taken for granted, for if this ring of stone is marvelous then all which shaped it is marvelous, and our journey here on earth,

able to see and touch and hear in the midst of tangible and mysterious things-in-

themselves, is the most strange and daring of all adventures. ~Edward Abbey