Art Show By The Greatest Artist

Among the many things that make life worth living is observing and experiencing the varied splendours of nature and its innumerable manifestations. The many colours that nature offers us with each dawn are gifts that come to us each day regularly. Unfortunately, we are often too busy in the routine of modren life that we fail to note the variety and colourful canvas the nature has for us. Today's city living has made us forget the colours of sunrise and sunset, natural colours of flowers, fruits and vegetables etc., and the magnificent natural events over the many seasons in a year. People travel several miles to see the wonders of deep colours that nature offers us in the Fall season, before trees shed their leaves and bring a new look in the next few months. Please click here to read about the wonderful experience we had on such a outing some ten years ago, to view fall colours.  

In our present day lives, even the food we eat and the drinks that accompany them are artificially flavoured and coloured which are often harmful to our health. We need to be reminded from time to time about the many gifts of the nature and we are even forced to go to far away deserted places to see the clear sky and star gazing! 

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Art exhibitions are held periodically in major cities and towns where many artists display their art works for viewing by the general public and art connoisseurs. These exhibitions are usually for a temporary period and when we go to the same place sometime later, we find something else on display there. Is there a place where one can see the same exhibition day after day? 

"Artists Palette" is a thin board or slab on which an artiste lays and mixes colours that he uses in making his paintings (see picture above) for displaying as exhibits or giving away to others or selling them. Experienced painters give life to pictures by using many colours and arriving at the required one by mixing them on such palette. We all know that there is a greatest artist who cannot be rivalled by anyone either in the past or for all times to come. How would his own palette look like, if one wishes to see it?

Anyone wishing to see the "Artists Palette" of the Lord should go to the "Death Valley National Park" in the North Mojave Desert of Eastern California. Visitors go on the Artist's Drive in the Furnace Creek area to view aprons of pink, green, purple, brown, black and many other colour rocks visual treat as well as a lesson in the geographic marvels of our planet. The handbook of the Death Valley National Park describes it as "dipping, diving, curving, one way road that weaves through striking ravines and colourful rock formations".

 

Artists Palette is a nine mile loop road that has many spots where one can park their cars and explore further details by taking small hikes in the many ups and downs of the canyon. Even those who are not able to take such walks do get a birds eye view of the many colours that are found in the rock formations due to the mineral deposits in them, even from their seats in the cars as the drive progresses. One can see sea green, lemon yellow, periwinkle blue and salmon pink deposits as well as a mix of various colours due to combination of the various minerals. It is a sight to behold and enjoy. An early morning drive is advisable as the outside temperatures rise with the day progressing. Picture shown above is just one of the angles at a particular point in time. The same scene changes dramatically with the time of the day, colour of the sky and the efficiency of the photo equipments coupled with the skills of the photographer!

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Death Valley National Park is 250 miles from Los Angeles, 500 miles from San Francisco, and 150 miles from Las Vegas. A group of "Gold Rush" pioneers who entered the valley in 1849 thinking that it was a short cut route to California named it as "Death Valley" due to the extreme conditions for humans there. It is spread over 34,00,000 acres. Telescope Peak is its highest point at 11,049 feet above sea level. On the other hand, The Bad Water Basin area in the park is at 282 feet below sea level and is one of the lowest points on earth. The name Bad Water comes from the fact that the water there (if found during very rare rainy period) is unfit for drinking due to the heavy salt content. Visitors take a stroll on the vast expanse of shimmering white table salt in the area. The area around Furnace Creek is said to have reached a temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit or 56.7degrees Celsius in 1913, and said to be the highest temperature ever recorded on earth. 

There are many tourist spots in the park like Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Zebriske Point, Racetrack Playa, Cottonwood Mountains, Ubehebe Crater, Chris Witch's Camp, Ghost Towns and many more. Of course, one cannot miss the Artist's Paulette. Lodging facilities are available in Furnace Creek area. The valley is a paradise for camping and hiking enthusiasts. Summers are very hot and winters are warm. Many films like Star Wars, Riders of the Lost Ark were filmed here. Some areas are shown as very similar to the surface of Mars. A three day trip would be required to explore all the important points in the valley. Visitors go in the middle of the night to some isolated spot in the valley (the entire valley is in fact isolated!) for star watching and then exclaim they had never seen stars in such a clear sky.

Proper attire and lots of drinking water are to be stocked before venturing out in the park. As one enters the part, a booklet containing guidance notes and safety precautions to be followed are given to th visitors.

If you are in Las Vegas or Los Angeles or a place around there about, and have three days to spare, Death Valley is the place to go!