north america

i planned my trips in the 1990s to the southwest of the usa primarily to get to know the settlement and cult sites of the pre-columbian indian cultures. of course i also visited the classic national parks along the way.
but what completely fascinated me just by driving through the landscape – apart from the endless vastness, unusual for europeans – is the roadside geology. because everywhere clearly and easily distinguishable geological formations are exposed. – my picture titles initially always referred to the geological layers of the areas i painted.
in later years, the landscape became the most important element of my journey. i was able to deepen my impressions more and more through numerous hikes.
the natural stone arches in arches national park in utah were initially of the greatest attraction for me. on a high plateau above the colorado river you can hike for days – and on primitive trails – through vast numbers of these sandstone arches. just watching … how the canyons seem to slowly rise out of the prairie as the sun rises and gradually hits the butes and fins to form depths with light … this was inspiration for my multi-faceted sketches.
a quietly impressive highlight were my hikes in the escalante area (today grand staircase-escalante national monument, utah). of course, one tour also led to the lower calf creek fall, past the remains of indian rock paintings. all my hikes make me think of the words of everett ruess, who roamed the escalante region in the 1930s: “…finally I’ve seen, experienced and listened to so much beauty that is impossible to describe and that cannot be expressed in words or paintings …”.