Catalina State Park, 2010.Watercolor on paper, approx 5"x7"
This view is of the north side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, which Tucsonans refer to as the "backside of the Catalinas." Catalina Park is about 40 minutes North of Tucson. With the [risible] budget shortage in the statehouse, the park is on the short list to close until revenues "recover". So, look now, while you can.
Our legislators have lowered taxes nearly every year for more than a decade -- despite having the lowest budget of many states, and an education expenditure which vies with Arkansas for the bottom of 50 states. When you're on the I-10 crossing from Arizona to New Mexico, you can hear the clunking, roaring, chattering pavement ruts go nearly silent as you cross the border into New Mexico, a state that knows how to take care of infrastructure.
It irks me that they would put something as fundamental to the common welfare (and to my inspiration as an artist) at risk, as a nature park. Let's make a resolution for the New Year that we take care of what's been given to us.
12 comments:
I love this little watercolor. It's not only freshly executed, none of the stiff mechanical brush strokes for you, it takes me out of my place and to this moment. I hope your national park stays open.
Amen to that.
I love that clear crisp blue near the bottom, and the other really translucent colors around there...they give me such a sense of the type of light and atmosphere there
Susan,
Thank you for visiting... and the too kind comment. The park... still threatened, but not yet closed. Apparently, it's the busiest of the State parks, so it may be the last to close.
Karen,
So happy to see you come by! I'm thinking of doing some rework on this plein air... see if I can push the perspective a bit. But I like your comments, and will keep them in mind.
I love the freshness of your paintings as well, Edgar. I too hope our parks and infrastructure receive the priority they deserve sooner rather than later. The situation is desperate.
Hi Edgar,
This is an all too familiar story. In Ontario the supposed "greenbelt" around Toronto, part of Ontario's "green" plan has been sold off in large chunks to developers. Our community college doesn't have enough money to hire full time teachers, and yet the country keeps cutting taxes. But worse than that, our governor general has agreed to let our prime minister
shut down the government, for the second time in a year -- until March!
Love your wonderful watercolour, and I'm always delighted when you post an entry.
Take care,
Barbara
Martha,
Thanks so much for taking a look. Whenever things look bleak, I remind myself of what a famous physicist said, "Things that can't go on forever... don't." And things can't be bleak forever, can they, because things go in cycles.
Here's to the next upturn.
Barbara,
Funny how development always creeps into the lands that are "set aside into perpetuity." I guess I don't really understand what "perpetuity" means, although I thought I did.
It always brings a smile to my face to see that you've commented. Looking forward to more posting.
Wonderful sense of light in this piece Edgar.
Governments...what ever were they thinking! How on earth do you close a park...
Jeffrey
Hi Jeffrey! Thank you for taking the time to comment. I need to get back to that "open" time which I thought I'd have to put all the planned posts and art up... Okay, not too early in the year to start over on my resolutions, right?
"How on earth," indeed. The freaks in the legislature are considering "privatizing" the parks... because what every park needs is a profit center, a concession stand, a gift mall and a fee parking lot.
But, closing it is simple: they chain the gate shut. Then, I guess they have to hire security guard companies [which is the first step in privatizing] to come by and see who's snuck in...
Hope you manage to sneak in many times, Edgar, and get some more "wee gems" like this.
They cannae stop ye looking!
Thanks David -- you've certainly got your own 'wee gem' to work with now. Big smiles.
Post a Comment