Badlands National Park and The Corn Palace          May 26, 2013

Camping at Badlands National Park was a serene experience.  It was very quiet with only the sound of the wind and birds.  We got up early and explored a couple of the short scenic trails in the park.

We didn’t see a lot of wild life however we had an opportunity to get very close to a rabbit that was staying close to this wooden walk way that he could easily hide under for safety.  I found that the rabbit made a good subject for a watercolor study in that it represented life in what appears to be a very harsh environment.

The other three sketches are pen and ink drawings with watercolor washes.  I drew them very quickly.  The idea is to make quick impression studies. Sometimes over thinking gets in the way of an intuitive process.

Driving across South Dakota we visited the Devils Tower National Monument before we went to the Badlands and then we stopped at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota.  The Mitchell Corn Palace is a folk art wonder and was first built in 1892 to show case the rich soil of South Dakota and encourage people to settle in the area.  When you are driving across the United States it is nice to break up the drive with little side trips like this.  Our next little adventure takes us to Baraboo, Wisconsin which is home to the Circus World Museum.