41 what she thought was going to be Tony’s favorite vantage point of Flat Top Mountain. But like so many friends who have suggested a place for Tony to paint, Karen was soon to find out that there is something a bit magical about how Tony finds his spot. During the first hike around the lake he stopped, started, circled back a few times to frame the landscape with his thumb and finger like a film director, and then finally turned and said, “This looks pretty good.” At first, none of us could quite see it, but as the pencil sketch began to appear on the large canvas later that evening, there was no questioning that this spot was THE SPOT. The way the foreground, lake, and mountain came together in shape, color, and perspective is, dare me to say it, Parker—GENIUS! The camping was cold, with some of the nights dropping into the 20s Fahrenheit. We awoke each morning with a coat of frost on our eyebrows and sleeping bags. A few of the days, quick rain showers led us back to our tents for early naps but passed quickly with an amazing alpine fog moving across the lake. The weather can come out of nowhere at 8,000 feet elevation. Going to sleep with the elks’ bugles repeating off the mountains was like a primordial lullaby. The third adventure of the Green River painting expedition began when I met Tony in Ketchum, Idaho, at Annie and Bill Vanderbilt’s home. Not only are Annie and Bill collectors of Tony’s art and generous supporters of the film I’m making, they’ve accompa- nied Tony on several of the most dangerous expedi- tions he’s put together. Their abundant camaraderie with Tony is something that is shared by all his friends and colleagues. A day later, Tony and I were setting up camp at a site in Canyonlands National Park. Our friend Larry Campbell had confirmed earlier that day during a pancake breakfast in Moab that the most dramatic views of Islands in the Sky was from this side of the canyon. We took Larry’s recommendations very seriously, as he is one of the most famous location scouts in the West. (He found the locations for Thelma & Louise, amongst many other films during his illus- trious career.) The week on the edge of the canyon, spent filming and painting, was existential and meditative. Tony and I would spend the days creating in tandem with film and watercolor paint. Then we’d walk back to camp, start a fire, and eat dinner. Gin and tonics came into play a few nights, and a lot of laughter was echoed by the coyote’s yips further down the canyon. Those nights in astronomical darkness were so quiet that the sound of my stomach woke me up on several nights. As I write this, I am transported back to the brutal beauty of the astonishing Canyonlands—the calm before the storm, so to speak, because nobody could prepare us for what was coming the next week. David Schendel and Tony Foster, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, 2022
