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... and I'm hoping that this massive rampaging fire will have been extinguished!

Wouldn't it be a breath of fresh air to have the maintenance of our natural resources actually be effective?

Nothing quite captures in words the breathtaking view through Yosemite Valley. Nothing that I could say would be enough to explain just how naturally spiritual this place is. It must be experienced.

I took this photograph from the popular Wawona Tunnel overlook in 2005. A bit of a hike would have taken me to Inspiration point. Alas, I had younger family in tow and making that trip was not to be. But the impact of this place was caught all the same.

Looking forward to a 2022 experience.

Agenda is Kern River > Sequoia National Park > Bass Lake > Yosemite > June Lake Belt.

Leaving August 19th

The image above is "The Valley Of Inspiration-Yosemite" (Highlight - Right Click - Open Link) https://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-valley-of-inspiration-yosemite-glenn-mccarthy-art-and-photography.html

When going into the Las Vegas Nevada area you can see, off to the west, these inviting mountains of a multitude of colors. I had always wondered what they were and decided to pack my gear and wonder over to investigate. I have to admit to being ignorant of Red Rock Canyon until I found myself loving photography. My early morning trip from the city changed everything.

I made it a destination point the next time around. But as circumstance dictated, the loop was closed about 7 miles in and we were forced to go around the fringes and stop in scenic vista road spots. It ended up being a blessing in disguise because we discovered the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park along with the little town of Blue Diamond.

From the photograph: Mount Wilson is the most recognizable and highest peak in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It reaches a height of 7,071 ft with over 3,000 feet of gain from the canyon floor.

The Sentinel seems to be peaking at us from beyond the jutting cliffs along the Emerald Pools Trail in Zion National Park. It's breathtaking and a bit intimidating at the same time.

We had just made the trek from the Zion Canyon Lodge and were heading back down when I caught some pretty amazing photos of the different peaks and cliffs that were on either side of us.

I have a great fondness for these natural monuments. They are a testimony to the awesomeness of creation. They have a way of making me understand how fortunate I am to enjoy the master Creators handiwork and to share it forward to a world starving for beauty and peace.

Just sit back and imagine being there. The Sentinel peaks at 7,157 feet.

Have a great day!
Glenn

I haven't added a blog in forever. Well, not really. I mean it's been a very long time

The last several years have been challenging. The pandemic wreaked havoc on the world and affected our lives greatly. Our families expanded and contracted leaving us with a sense of hope and a realization of loss at the same time. Tragedy took our youngest daughter. There is no real full recovery from that. Just an adjustment and realization that there will always be a hole there. As believers in eternal things and in the creator, Christ, we continue to learn how to cope. Especially with the fact that all things are not in our control. Understanding the purposes may not be given to us.

Yeah... our lives are changing. So is the scope of the entire world!

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Been taking in the sights of Southern California recently with a bit of hiking. Came up with these just to post a few. Rain sure makes a difference!

"Light On Crafton Hills"
A Panoramic venue

https://glenn-mccarthy.pixels.com/featured/light-on-crafton-hills-glenn-mccarthy-art-and-photography.html

"San Gorgonio Mountain"
A Horizontal breathtaking view...

https://glenn-mccarthy.pixels.com/featured/san-gorgonio-mountain-glenn-mccarthy-art-and-photography.html

Perhaps a bit of snow in...
"Winter Horizon"

https://glenn-mccarthy.pixels.com/featured/winter-horizon-glenn-mccarthy-art-and-photography.html

Thanks for stopping by.

Glenn

It's been quite some time since I ventured into the blogosphere! Feeling a bit rusty about this whole thing.

I am constructing a new series that will include some of my older work as well as newer productions and titled "Small Town America". Included here are some examples of the work.

I love hitting the highway and exploring old towns. In September of 2016 it was a drive up the California Scenic Highway, Route 1. This is considered one of the darlings of vehicle travel. Possibly the most popular in the world. The roads took us through Fillmore, Solvang, Cambria, Santa Cruz, Pacifica, and Gilroy, the Garlic Capitol of California.

I've always admired the old perspectives of Norman Rockwell and the way he would strive to capture a bit of mom, apple pie, and baseball. The traditional American themes as he viewed them. My attempt will be at capturing small town architecture and street scenes that are becoming overshadowed by the raucous and overwhelming work of Urban power. Much of this lifestyle is under attack. Critics of the past, traditional structure, tend to stain it without even considering the 95% good that helped to establish this great place that we are privileged to be in. Here are a couple of opening salvos.

"Santa Cruz Victorian - Small Town America"


"The Lynch House - Small Town America"


"Solvang 2 - Small Town America"


Slow down and smell the roses as you travel down the backroads of this great country. Even in the simplistic world of yesteryear there are nuggets of life that are worthy of our consideration.

"When I go to farms or little towns, I am always surprised at the discontent I find. And New York, too often, has looked across the sea toward Europe. And all of us who turn our eyes away from what we have are missing life." ~ Norman Rockwell

Till next time. God Bless !
Glenn

Almost two weeks now since the San Bernardino area was attacked by a worldwide movement of destruction. That was 36 miles from my front door and an area that I have photographed in over the years. I have yet to see the outcry and memorials for this area that I have witnessed for Paris or Boston. Certainly people's lives don't matter less in San Bernardino than they do in the more editorialized and written about Metropolitan areas of the globe... do they? So i set out to give a bit of a small tribute from some of my photos that I have posted for the past couple of years...

"Kimberly Crest Manor , Vintage View" ~ Kimberly Crest House and Gardens is a French chateau-style Victorian mansion located in Redlands, California, and is registered as a California Historical Landmark.



"Lincoln Memorial Shrine Entrance" ~ This amazing memorial to the great President Abraham Lincoln is the only one of it's kind west of the Mississippi. It is tucked away in the small town of Redlands, California. I found it to be exceptionally well presented making me walk away with a greater fondness for the man and his legacy.



"Kimberly Crest - Victorian Splendor" ~ Another view of this wonderful landmark



"Caroline Park Afternoon" ~ A view from the garden of Caroline Park, Redlands, California.

This is one of those hidden little secrets that resides in the hillsides of the beautiful community. The park is surrounded by residential architectural splendor and boasts a 180 degree view to the mountains. The botanical gardens have trails for hiking, tables for picnicking, and benches for relaxation and a touch of romance. It even boasts a small memorial Redwood Grove.



I hope that we will continue to remember those who were victims of this terrible tragedy. I also hope that we will remember that they come from a beautiful and cherished area of the Untied Sates Of America. It's a place full of hard working citizens. A boiling pot of America!

God Bless,
Glenn

12/14/2015

I was pondering a question I ran across on the blogs the other day about "What Art" really defines me. I guess I would have to answer that question legitimately stating that I am open to attempting to work with variety of mediums and styles. I came into this side of the art world after many years of selling and representing other great artists that were nationally known and recognized. I have since come to realize just how great they were at this craft! Becoming a professional is hard work. If you are faint of heart, or have a fear of rejection, this is not the place to practice those feelings of insecurity.

Having room to roam can be hazardous to one's health if they are motivated by the feed back of others. I can think of several pieces that were emotionally critical at the moments that I worked on them... and all were experimental in nature. They are presented differently... and are part of the ongoing process of discovery and change.

Here's one that I produced while in the midst of losing everything. The result speaks for itself. Lots of moments like these that produced feelings I never knew existed. Starting over, while on the other side of the pendulum, is not an easy task.

Introspection



This was a spontaneous hand drawn work that came about as I finally realized that there are more grains on the fallen side than there were from the starting point. Life is but a drop of water dissolving at a rapid pace. Don't think so? Come back and see me in 30 years.

Hourglass



This digital experiment was a fun diversion. Yes, I am nuts enough to believe that what we see was spoken into existence and order by Intelligent Design! Write me off if you want. Write you off if I am right!

Creations Explosion



Okay... this is pretty self-indulgent. But it was fun to mix hand drawn work into photographic/digital alteration.

Revelatory Perception



Here is something new from the crib in 2015. Odd and surrealistic... but it tells a story if you dare allow it!

I Was Daydreaming When All Of A Sudden...



Okay... we've come to the end of this one.

Had a load of fun producing this image through various digital artistry. I have a hard time passing up beautiful old vehicles. I take quite a few photos of them, and work for hours on end to tweak the finishing processes. It's very rare that I have a turn key image. Many images are posted that I just pull out of the line-up in order to reinterpret the original.

I liked the outcome of this particular truck:



Give this gallery a look when you get the chance. http://glenn-mccarthy.artistwebsites.com/art/all/antiques+and+ambiance/all

Historical Event for January 8th...

1324 Explorer Marco Polo Dies at 69
1642 - Galileo Galilei, Italian physicist/astronomer, dies at 77 in Italy
1815 - Battle of New Orleans (War of 1812); the war had ended on 24th December 1814 but none of the combatants knew
1835 The United States National Debt is "0" for the first and only time.
1877 - Crazy Horse and his warriors fight their last battle with the United States Cavalry at Wolf Mountain (Montana Territory).
1918 - Pres Wilson outlines his 14 points for peace after the Great War
1925 - 1st all-female US state supreme court appointed, Texas (Texas... is this right? Wow, and the battle still goes on)
1937 - -50°F (-45.6°C), San Jacinto, Nevada (state record)
1945 - "Youth for Christ" organizes
1954 - Elvis Presley pays $4 to a Memphis studio & records his 1st two songs, "Casual Love" & "I'll Never Stand in Your Way"
1957 - In an article appearing in "LOOK" magazine, Jackie Robinson announced his retirement from baseball.
1958 - Cuban revolutionary forces capture Havana
1962 - Golfer Jack Nicklaus, 21, 1st pro appearance, he came in 50th
1966 -Beatles' "Rubber Soul," album goes #1 and stays #1 for 6 weeks
1968 - Jacques Cousteau's 1st undersea special on US network TV

1968 - MUSIC CHART TOPPERS: 1968
Hello Goodbye - The Beatles
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band
For Loving You - Bill Anderson & Jan Dwight.

1974 - Gold hits record $126.50 an ounce in London
1986 - Willie McCovey is 16th elected to Hall of Fame in his 1st year
1987 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed over the 2000 mark for the first time ever.
1992 - George Bush gets ill & vomits on Japanese prime minister's lap
2008 - New Jersey officially apologizes for slavery, becoming the first Northern state to do so.
2011 - Attempted assassination of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and subsequent shooting in Casas Adobes, Arizona at a Safeway grocery store kills 6 and wounds 13, including Giffords
2013 -U.S. scientists claim 2012 weather as the hottest year ever recorded

2013 - McCarthy Designs releases "Sunrise In Joshua Tree National Park"