A view of the Pease River from the cliff tops that was also the location of our camp for two nights.

There are places on this earth, landscapes and environments, which are beautiful. Beautiful in a quiet, peaceful benevolent kind of way. Words like paradise, or utopia or heaven might be used to describe them. There are other places, other landscapes that are equally beautiful, equally magnificent. It’s a solid, timeless beauty – crisp and quiet. Its’ mood can quickly swing from benevolent to something that seems to be laced with malice. It’s a beauty with an edge, and that edge sometimes leaves a mark on the viewer. A mark that cuts deep into your soul, and sometimes in your body.

Last morning of trip I walked to the edge of the cliff tops to look one last time at the Pease River and stepped right over this guy. Reminded me of Proverbs 16:9 “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

When my fellow artist and friend, Pete Quaid, invited my wife and I along on a painting and photography trip the last weekend in June, it was to a place described above, one that leaves a mark; a place with an edge, but also a place of incredible beauty, both day and night.

Our destination was the isolated property of one of Pete’s good friends who owns several hundred acres in the panhandle region of Texas, bordered by the Pease River. I had painted here in October of the previous year and was eagar for my wife, Donna, to see this beautiful place.

Most people who hear of a trip to the panhandle of Texas say “Why would you go there? There is nothing out there.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The panhandle of Texas has some of the most beautiful and amazing landscapes in the world, inhabited with a myriad of creatures designed by the Creator of the Universe. And to literally “top it all off”, the night skies are awe-inspiring.

The spring that had recently ended was one of the wettest springs in recent Texas history. The rain started in late April and hardly stopped until mid to late June. This left an unusually dynamic landscape for this time of year. The land was very green, clothed with prairie grasses, flowers, shrubs and trees (although trees got thinner as we drove north) that were still showing the benefit of frequent spring rains. This array of every shade of green you can imagine was complimented by the red and reddish brown sandstone rocks, cliffs and gullies of the panhandle region. This landscape, at this particular time in history, was ripe for both the brush and camera lens.

Pete Quaid and Steve Miller painting on porch of cabin overlooking the Pease River. A rainstorm was the motivation to paint on the porch.

We camped on the property for two days, painting, shooting photos both day and night, and simply enjoying the rich gift of God’s creation.

Not long after we set up camp, a rain storm moved across the plains. It was not a surprise at all, as we were actually able to see it come towards us from the southwest direction. Pete and I set up to paint our first “plein air” piece under the shelter of a small cabin’s porch that was on the property at the top of some cliffs overlooking the Pease River, where we also camped. The rain that came as we painted was refreshing and left us with a challenge to paint. The mist rose from the gentle hills and river valley, changing all the values of the landscape into something that bordered on mysterious. However, it didn’t last long enough for me to capture on my panel – the clouds begin to break up and the sun shown through and the mysterious mist and soft values faded into a sunlit landscape once again.

The King’s View, 12 x 16 plein air oil painting on panel

As the bright Texas sun begin to drop behind the western horizon, little lights begin to show themselves in the ever strengthening darkness, along with a moon that was almost full. This bright moon lit the landscape somewhat in the darkness, but it also weakened the visual display that is ever present in the skies of the panhandle and night. On a moonless, clear night, the Milky Way Galaxy is incredible to see. As are the millions and billions of stars that populate the immense reaches of space. But tonight, the moon mask most of this splendor, and only a small percentage of the stars could be seen. But, as they say, “the night was young”. Due to some knee pain from fairly recent surgery, I found myself awake, staring through the screen of the tent at 4:00 a.m. Everything had changed. the moon had sank behind the dark horizon and the night sky had come alive with the incredible and indescribable lights of the Milky Way and it’s billions of  twinkling companions.

Under the stars

I had recently read an article on the web describing a method of shooting the night sky and that article was enough motivation to crawl out of the tent at four in the morning with camera and tripod to give it a shot (perhaps a pun was intended 🙂

Although you could see the wisp of the Milky Way Galaxy and more stars than you ever thought existed with your naked eye, the light the camera captured through the 10 to 15 second exposure overwhelmed me. It was an immediate and awe-inspiring reminder of the all powerful, infinitely wise, holy, and loving God described in Psalm 19 – “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.”

I was also reminded of  Psalm 33:6, which says ” By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. ” Imagine that – God breathed out the stars, spoke that universe into existence.

Time Exposure of Milky Way Galaxy, Pease River and the distant glow of Paducah, Texas

When I crawled back into our tent on the cliff tops overlooking the Pease river under this vast night sky, I was again thankful for a God who was still in control. I was reminded that God is ever present to believers, but not always visible. Even in the darkest night, He is there, and He has not dropped the ball. I was also very thankful I had not stepped on a rattlesnake in the darkness.

The next day Pete, Donna and I headed down to the bottom of the cliff tops to the cool waters of the Pease river to paint and shoot some photos. The Pease River is unique in several ways. As the landowner told us, the surrounding landscape has a high mineral content, salt in particular. This makes the Pease River very salty. Not much grows in it, only one little fish lives in it. The river bed is red sand that seems to be alive. The water is mostly shallow, only inches deep in most places. This makes a great river for wading; cool clear water with a sandy bottom. Almost like being on the beach.

Pete wandered down stream a bit and set up his easel. Donna roamed up and down the cool river bed shooting photos, and I set up with a view towards the cliffs to paint the river bed, cliffs and distant landscape. I quickly discovered that the sandy river bed was seemingly alive and ever changing. In some spots if you stood still, the sand would shift from under your feet and you would begin to sink towards the center of the earth. Ok, maybe not quiet that drastic, but at times you did wonder how far you would actually sink if you did not move to firmer footing. When I set my easel up in this environment, it began to settle down into the sand, the legs of both my easel and portable stool getting shorter and shorter. I begin to reconnoiter that river banks for rocks and sticks to provide a platform for my easel and other gear. Having stabilized the setup, I finally started a painting that I would work on for the next 4 hours. I did wander up and down the river some during this time. Sometimes it helps to remove yourself form your work and revisit to gain a fresh perspective.

Painting on location in the Pease River bed in the Panhandle of Texas

I always enjoy painting outside. It calls me back to the basics, a thankfulness that there is a loving God who cares for us. The weekend we were at the Pease River painting was the weekend the Supreme Court handed down a decision that basically destroyed marriage in America. I was reminded of this as I stood in the Pease River painting the red sandstone of the crumbling cliffs tops. What a vivid example of America: a crumbling culture, a crumbling morality, and crumbling families, which I believe to be the foundation of our society.

But all is not lost. There is a sovereign God who rules the universe. A God who loves us and calls us out of our fallen state, who calls us to repentance and to a relationship with Himself. I’m reminded of the words of Jesus in Mark 13:31 where he says this: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

He also said this:

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28, 29, 30.

Plein air oil on panel titled “Heaven and Earth’, painted on location at the Pease River. This 12 x 16 painting is available at the Adobe Western Art Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas.

Painting in the Pease River bed in the southern Panhandle Plains of Texas

“Watch yourself, sister! Everything in these woods’ll either bite ya, stab ya or stick ya!” That’s a quote from the movie “True Grit”, starring John Wayne. When my friend and artist, Pete Quaid, invited me along to paint on the property of one of his generous friends (many thanks to them for opening up their place to us), we were reminded of that line in the classic movie. Even though there are no “woods”, not like the woods further east, the southern end of the “Panhandle Plains”  is rough and stubborn country.

Pease River bed at sunset

Red sandstone, mesquite, cactus, rocks and a lot of grit blowing in the almost constant wind. The Pease River cuts it’s way through this land, providing some scarce water to all it’s inhabitants. The fact that God’s creatures actually live here, and seem to thrive has always amazed me. Deer, raccoon, wild pigs, bobcat, various birds, rattlesnakes, spiders and about about 500 million-billion wasp…or at least it seemed that way.

We arrived a Sunday afternoon and set up “camp” on top of a sandstone cliff that overlooked the Pease River. It was a beautiful place, especially as the sun began to sink lower and lower in the western sky. That “golden hour” about  sixty minutes before sunset lit up the faces of the sandstone cliffs with what seemed like electric neon lights. Since it was our first evening, we decided to shoot photos rather than setup and paint. We wondered around the clifftops with cameras in hand, and finally found ourselves in the very unique Pease river bed, far below the cliffs, shooting photos of the river and the escarpments that bordered one side of the river,  as the sun fell into the west.

Looking down from the sandstone clifftops at the Pease River

The Pease River, for the most part, was no deeper than 4 to 6 inches, and the river bed is flat and ninety percent sand. The water in that sandy river bed doesn’t cover more than 25 percent of the width of the bed at any given time, unless it rains. Then the river rises over the shallow banks as it heads for the Red River. Tracks from the wildlife mentioned above were everywhere. One of the more interesting sets of tracks was that of the wild pigs… Large pig tracks, probably a sow, followed by many very little pig tracks, I’m assuming the little piglets following their moma around. The Pease River is  the life source for many creatures in that dry landscape.

As the beautiful colors of the setting sun faded into the darkness of an October night sky, I was reminded of something I had forgotten having lived in the city for so long. Stars layered on many more layers of stars, accented by a steady treat of falling meditors.  I can count on a couple of hands and feet the number of stars I see in the night sky in Dallas. I was blown away by the display of celestial glory from the hand of God. I’m guessing I didn’t see millions of stars, but billions. The cloud like glow of the Milky Way Galaxy stretched across the heavens, surrounded by a multitude of closer, brighter stars. Stars tinted by colors of blue and red, some clustered close together, some hanging in lonely places in comparison to the congested gathering of others. If I say it was incredible, the word falls miserably short of the awe of that night sky.

Since the moon was only a sliver that night, it added to the darkness of the sky and the brightness of the stellar lights hanging like magic in the universe overhead. Pete and I sat in the darkness on the clifftops, heads tilted back, staring up at the myriad of twinkling, luminous dots in the ever increasing darkness.  I find it impossible to observe such an awesome site and my mind not be turned to the God of the Heavens. Psalm 33:6 says:

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.”

Interesting idea…God breathed out the stars. Our sun is a star. A small one in comparison to other stars out there. You can put almost one million of our earths into our sun. This makes us naturally think, “wow, our sun, our star is huge”. But, the largest star I believe known to date is Canis Majoris. You can fit at least SIX BILLION (that is billion with a “b”) of our suns into Canis Majoris. That’s crazy big. My mind can’t wrap itself around how big that is. And God, the Creator, as it says in Psalms 33 breathed out the stars, even Canis Majoris. He is an awesome God; And as Pete and I sat in the dark observing this indescribable display, we indeed felt very small, and incredibly blessed. Blessed because this star breathing God loves us. Loves us for no other reason than it is who He is. The God who created the heavens and the earth, who created the stars by the breath of His mouth, this God loves us and desires a relationship with us. This is what makes the Gospel, or Good News of Jesus Christ such a remarkable and incredible thing. The cross of Christ made a way for us to KNOW this star breathing God. Amazing…

Pete Quaid painting the cliffs on the Pease River

As we sat in the dark enjoying the sights before us, I sat a few feet from a cot I was to sleep on, “under the stars”. Something I had not done since I was a kid. The wind was still blowing hard and cool, adding to the ambiance of the visual treat in the sky. It was getting time to call it a day, so I turned my led light on that I wore around my forehead and randomly shinned it around the area, hoping it’s beam would catch a deer or other wildlife that might be passing by in the starlit night. I couldn’t believe it when I saw a visitor approaching in what had been almost complete darkness. A little mid-sized diamondback rattlesnake was about 8 feet from my cot, and he seemed intent on making that cot his destination. Or at least that’s what I thought… I’ve noticed I give animals and crawling things much more cerebral credit than they perhaps deserve. Whatever his intent was, my plans for the night was not so sleep with rattlesnakes. I don’t mind them, just don’t want them laying around under my cot. My mind had the next 7 or 8 hours played out…I get up in the middle of the night to re-leave myself and in the process step on the little native Texan, who would protest with a swift fang slashing bite, complete with a toxic cocktail, which would then alter the next few days for the worst. So, I’m sorry to say our little friend passed away. I know that as I finally slept under that stars later that night, there could have been friends and relatives of this crawling menace passing by my cot, perhaps stopping underneath it while searching for a meal, but, to quote some words of wisdom from an unknown source…”Ignorance is Bliss”

This Diamondback Rattlesnake crossed our path on our Cap Rock trip a few years ago…it wanted to try my hat on, but decided it was too big and crawled off.

(Not sure why it is, but it seems when Pete and I get together to paint in the Panhandle area, there are rattlesnakes involved. A couple of years ago we painted a few days in the Cap Rock Canyon area and saw a rattlesnake each night we were there.)

When the sun came up in the east the next morning, we gathered our gear and headed to the river bed to paint…but not before we were motivated by some caffeine-laced coffee. The next 36 hours we painted three paintings, couple in the river bed and one from the cliff tops. As is always the case with painting out in the open air, the experience was both exhausting, challenging and rewarding. Challenging because painting out side in the open air introduced  many problems that provide a great opportunity to learn, and it is the learning process that is rewarding. The works below are what I painted during those couple of days on the banks of the Pease River. I worked a bit more with them back in the studio, which is a continuation of the problem solving “dance”. I’m not real happy with these small, relatively quick studies, but really enjoyed the adventure under the west Texas sky.

Pease River One

Pease River Two (below)

Pease River Three