74 SACRED PLACES ZION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 Drew all morning until 1.30—the rock faces are mind-bogglingly complex, and I suffer from my usual problem of trying to create the form out of concentrated detail—succeeded eventually and got a good drawing, but I wish I could paint like Winslow Homer or even Maynard Dixon, who did some stunners of Zion. My site is conveniently close to the A.I.R. cabin, so home for lunch, taken in the sunshine on a picnic table outside. HAVASU FALLS SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2012 Havasupai ladies in a truck told me that I wouldn’t be able to paint—no professional painters or photographers allowed. I showed them my catalogue, and they liked the work but suggested I take it up with the tribal elders. Set off down switchbacks at 10.30 on a sunny day with some cirrus to take the sting out of the sun. Down about 1000ft before levelling out and gradually descending down a dry wash deeper and deeper into a canyon. Cottonwood trees and willows provided a vivid green against the Indian red rocks. To the village about 3.00. Much nicer than expected—small wooden houses spaced out in large garden plots, horses, crops, very peaceful. A general store, school, café, and lodge. Walk the further two miles to the campsite along a soft sand path, the canyon walls looming in all directions—this feels more like a village in Honduras or Nepal than 21st century USA. We see the mail come in on Pony Express—the only place in the USA where it does so. After a mile we are stopped dead in our tracks, our mouths hanging open at the sight of Navajo Falls—an utterly gorgeous series of cataracts and waterfalls with clear aquamarine water and vivid green waterweed and trees. The contrast with the Indian red of the rocks gave it super-real appearance— like turning the contrast too high on the TV. A more breathtaking and delightful spectacle couldn’t be imagined! I immediately realise it will make a painting. Walking on, we arrive at the top of Havasu Falls, a single drop fall of about 200ft into an azure pool. It was spellbinding. MONDAY, MAY 7 Walked into town and tracked down Matthew Putesoy at the Tribal Office. He started by saying I would have to write to the tribal council, but I spoke to him as a fellow artist, and he showed me a couple of his paintings— elements from tribal lore—quite strong and well done. Then showed my catalogue, and he said OK if I gave them a painting. I said perhaps a small one, or maybe they prefer 10% of whatever my painting sells for, which could be 2–3k—perhaps for a scholarship like the Diné in Monument Valley. He seemed to like this idea and agreed to me starting work but wanted me to talk to the council on Friday afternoon. FRIDAY, MAY 11 Up at 5.15 to the usual cloudless and colourless dawn. Determined to make sense of Little Navajo Falls. Sheltering under my bush, the sun does not strike me until about 11.30, so this is a good time to do difficult things. Little Navajo and its pools were not as difficult as I had feared, and I managed to get the thrust of the water and the translucent green-blue of the pool. The cataract on the RH side proved more of a problem, and I was still struggling slowly with it at lunchtime. I had plenty of callers, all excited by the work—one young man born on the Navajo Reservation said it gave him goosebumps! (I think it was a compliment.) Carried the tube into the village to meet Matthew. Sweltering hot. I met several of my horseback friends on the way who were worried that they might not see how far the painting had got. Matthew came out of a meeting and was quite impressed with the work—unfinished though it is. When offered the option of 10% of the sale price for a small scholarship for one of the children or an exact giclée replica, he opted for the latter. I was quite happy. He said they would hang it in the council chamber. We parted as friends, so I think I would be welcomed back. Set off down switchbacks at 10.30 on a sunny day with some cirrus to take the sting out of the sun. Diary entry, May 6, 2012
