I saw the following painting by my art hero, Thomas Moran, when we lived in Colorado Springs, CO during the '90s:
The title is Glen Eyrie, Garden of the Gods. These are two separate and adjacent properties in Colorado Springs, and I always wanted to do a painting like this.
Trouble is: Glen Eyrie is privately owned by the Navigators, a Christian parachurch organization and book publisher. I never had a chance to go there looking for the site that Moran painted.
Over the years, I've been looking online for photos that might help me make a similar painting to Moran's. And I FINALLY found it on Google Maps!!
Here is the pic:
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As you can see, it appears to be close to the spot where Moran made his sketches and watercolor drawings. The spire is called Echo Rock and is actually a short fin of sandstone that we're seeing on edge. Moran's painting has a few changes from reality, but that gives ME a chance to paint a scene similar to his while making it truly my own.
Looks like Moran had to do some significant climbing to get to this spot -- I never could have done that!!
Hope to start on it soon! Wish me luck/pray for me!
Mark Junge
www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com
