• Flagstaff
-- Local Business Directory
-- Rt 66 Car Show 2010
• Sedona
• Jerome
• Winslow
• Grand Canyon
- Guides - River Runners
- Geology Landforms
- Geology Trail of Time
- Ancient Environments 01
- Ancient Environments 02
- Grand Canyon Paintings
- GC Publications
• Native People
• Ancient People
• Grand Canyon Archaeology
• Favorite Meals
Interpretation...
Intuitive Hiker
• Beginnings
• First Discoveries
• Solstice Marker_01
• Solstice Marker_02
• Observations
• Birth Petroglyph
• Chariots of the GODs
• Water Catchment
• Glyphs on SF Peaks
• Petrified Forest
• 3D Pithouse_01
• 3D Pithouse_02
• 3D Pithouse_03
• 3D Pithouse 04
• N AZ Archaeology
• Elden Pueblo Now
• Elden Pueblo Then
• Visiting Lomaki Ruin
• Keyhole Sink Rock Art
• King Tut of N Arizona
• Montezuma Well
Wupatki Project
• Wupatki Reconstruct 01
• Wupatki Reconstruct 02
• Wupatki Reconstruct 03
• Wupatki Reconstruct 04
• Wupatki Reconstruct 05
• Wupatki Reconstruct 06
• Wupatki Reconstruct 07
• National Park Visitor Cntr
• GPS Experience 01
• GPS Experience 02
• GPS Experience 03
• Range Rover 01 - Saving
• Range Rover 01 - History
• Range Rover 01 - Brakes
• Wildflower Guide 01
• Wildflower Guide 02
• Wildlife
• Fishing
• Best CLIP ART
Forest Textures
Brush Strokes Style
Homeowner
• Neighborhood Flood 01
• Neighborhood Flood 02
• Neighborhood Flood 03
• Neighborhood Flood 04
• Replace an Old Fence 01
• Replace an Old Fence 02
• Replace an Old Fence 03
• Replace an Old Roof
• Replacing an Old Window
greenLIFE
• Living Off the Grid
• Weather Related
• Compost
• Solar Greenhouse 01
• Solar Greenhouse 02
• Solar Greenhouse 03
• Pit Greenhouse Research
• Farmers Market
• Victory Gardens -WHY?
• Mount Hope Foods
• New Frontiers Market
• Strawbale Construction
Digital Arts
• Digital Fish 01
• Digital Fish 02
• Digital Fish 03
• Digital Fish 04
• Digital Fish 05
• Gallery of Fish Paintings
• 3D Masonic Eye Demo
• Egyptian Scarab Demo
• Mayan Hunab Ku Design
• 3D Raven
• Colorado River Topo Map
• 3D Clip Composition 01
• 3D Clip Composition 02
• 3D Clip Composition 03
• 3D Clip Composition 04
Fine Arts - Oil Paintings
• Grand Canyon Paintings
• Famous Zoo Posters
• Polychrome
• Emergence Prophecy
Demonstrations
• Build Your Own Easel
• Grand Canyon 01
• Grand Canyon 02
• Fall on McMillan Mesa
• Wupatki Sunrise
• Macaws of Wupatki
• Remembering August
• Tuzigoot Reconstruct 01
• Tuzigoot Reconstruct 02
• Tuzigoot Reconstruct 03
Healing Arts
• Healing CLIP ART
- 01 - 02 - 03 - 04 - 05 - 06
• Save Your Life Shop 01
• Save Your Life Shop 02
• Practitioners of N AZ 01 02
- Healing Essays
• PCa Strategy 01 02 03
• Fresh Juice
• Budwig Diet
• Wheat Grass Juice
• Making Essiac Tea
• UPs and DOWNs
• When Digestion Hurts
• Vasectomy Pain
Dear Reader... This is an interpretive series of pages taken from the personal journal of Mr. JH Thomas. For over 25 years Mr. Thomas hiked, explored and photographed the limestone canyons and vicinity of northern Arizona. As a result he recorded several scientific "firsts" in archaeology regarding the activities of the ancient people we now call Sinagua. He also acquired some basic knowledge of local geology, the native plants and wildlife. It is a pleasure to present some of these observations in this format. Sincerely, John Vroom, Editor
Macaws of Wupatki Oil Painting
Reconstructing the Ruin Wupatki... with the purpose of serving as a model for interpretive oil paintings. Above is a simplified animation superimposing an interpretation of the past construction over present day stabilized ruin walls.
The first side effect of this research and graphic experiments is this poster.
Click on image for purchasing information. MANY THANKS to Dr. Chris Downum at Northern Arizona University and Peter Pilles from the Archaeology Section of the Coconino National Forest for being my generous and supportive consultants! I hope my world of art contributed to theirs of science. JHThomas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Macaws of Wupatki Oil Painting... Continued from Previous Page...
Review the previous section of digital experiments as part of the research for the paintings of archaeological sites.
~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a step by step oil painting demonstration
Parrots and Wupatki
Here is an archaic abstract design found painted on a ceramic pot. It clearly depicts the macaw or other parrot, from over a thousand years ago.
Step By Step Oil Painting
Beginning .... 07/02/02... The time had come for me to do the painting that I had in mind when I began this project. The commission painting was a nice income and good practice but it was also a distraction. It begins, in the lobby of the Old Town Gallery. Drop by and see me!
This painting measures 42" x 22". The point of view is from just down (north east) the east rim of broken moenkopi stones by the visitor's center, looking back at the south room block connecting the kiva and tower. It is based upon this photo:
About halfway along on the underpainting, I've included this to let you see the pencil drawing of the pueblo.
The underpainting is developing, large masses of color have been painted. Anything to get rid of the white.
I found this Sinagua ceramic parrot on display at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
07/09/02... I've blocked in the great pueblo's south room block and tower.
07/10/02... The underpainting for the scarlet macaw begins today.
The parrot (Macaw) influence in the ancient cultures of the southwest remains in place even today. Here's an example of a parrot abstract design drawn for me by Hopi artist Neil David Sr. Since there are no native parrots in Arizona, it speaks to the fact that once they were traded here from Central America as highly regarded items.
07/12/02... The underpainting of the two macaws, Scarlet and Military, is done.
07/19/02... The underpainting is finally complete, covering all of the original white canvas. I've painted the first new layer of paint on the sky, with a blend and I've add some early shadows.
07/25/02... Made a few changes... started the sky detail, and I painted out the previous foreground. I've removed the previously indicated large storage pot. I'm working on a whole new composition for this space! Here's why:
In a recent visit to the Museum of Northern Arizona I viewed and recorded these actual Sinagua artifacts, mostly from Wupatki itself. This validation caused me to completely review what to do with this foreground. Items above include a large pot and bowl, both classified as Sunset Red Sinagua ceramics. The woven mat and sandal are made from local yuccas fibers. Placing these things back on site, virtually in my painting, will add to my project.
Spent a couple days working on the distant foothills, early color, shape and texture.
From my research:
Here is an archaic icon of the pushteca, the trader, painted on an old ceramic pot. It graphically makes a clear reference to trading, the method of acquiring beautiful macaw feathers.
I've spent the past few days just working out the details of the foothills and the sky. I've included a close up this time of the specific area. It also shows off my new camera. In my home studio I've also been working on the new composition for the cultural stuff I'm adding to the foreground.
08/15/02... Quite a bit has been done this past few days. The main difference in this picture is the addition of many of the foreground cultural items I'm including. There are several Sunset Red ceramic pots, a woven yucca fiber matte, sandals, a ceremonial stick, several ears of blue corn, squash and turkey feathers.
See museum reference photos above.
08/16/02... The only thing added in this picture since the previous is that I've begun the old wood ladder and the bird perch stump and branch. This is the first successful photo taken directly from the front of the painting and shows pretty accurate color. About 30% completed now!
08/22/02... I spent the last three days just painting masonry, thousands of stones, the beginning of wall texture. You can see how the upper rooms were organically attached to the large foundation rock beneath the room block.
08/23/02... Today I started to "flesh out" the faces of the two macaws.
08/30/02... This is a bit of photoshop cleverness, the point being: The part left in color was completely repainted this week! See three photos above for how it was on Monday. All the rooms in this section were remodeled as well.
09/05/02... Tons of small details this week! The weave pattern of the yucca fiber items has been done. If you'll notice, the Sunset red ceramic bowl has been completely repainted to fix its perspective to match the other items. The ladder is nearly finished. The second coat of color on the squash has been done. And the entire sun facing surface of the pueblo has been textured for the second time. Also roof log beams are in place.
Here's some photographs of types of corn grown by ancient peoples in the southwest, found during my research.
Here's a close up of the masonry detail at this point, about 75% done.
09/13/02... Little by little the light is filling the picture. I repainted the area behind the ladder this week, added surface texture to the major foreground stone, added sunlight to most of the key bushes, and, oh yes, did some work on the macaws! How could I forget?
Here's some photographs of types of squash grown by ancient peoples in the southwest, found during my research.
Here's a close up of the new work on the macaws:
10/04/02... The devil's in the details, lots of them. I worked everywhere in the painting this past two weeks. Lots of changes in the middle ground, more work on the military macaw, the second step on the Sacred Datura flower, Lots of texture and sunlight treatment on the large rocks and the face of the pueblo. I've repainted the yucca mat, the sandals, the ceramic bowls, the turkey feathers, the walking stick, and I've added some Juniper branches, one in the sunset red bowl.
There is a personal secret behind the turquoise bracelet included in this painting.
11/03/02... the FINISHED PAINTING (professionally photographed) I've added the final shadows and some details. In reality this painting took nearly two years. From the start of my research over a year ago, two months developing a computerized 3D version based upon the most recent maps and research, interviews with Chris Downum at Northern Arizona University and Peter Pilles of the Coconino National Forest, and three practice paintings before this piece. The background, including trees and rock formations, are much as they are today, which I can't verify is how it was exactly over a thousand years ago. The pueblo is probably not exact either, as it was always in a state of repair and modification. But I believe I've represented the general mass, how it would impact you visually if you walked upon it. According to the research papers I was allowed to study the room designated as number 81 was probably the last one built of the known room blocks. I've shown it in a state of incompletion with uninstalled roof beams and piles of loose stones. These same papers indicated that many buried Scarlet and Military Macaws were found enshrined here, more than any other southwest ruin. Hence my homage to their place in the beliefs that built this wonderful place!
NOTE: This painting was chosen to be in the remodeled Visitors' Center by the National Park Service and the Museum of Northern Arizona, summer 2005.
This presentation of Wupatki paintings continues on the next page.
More Info is on our BLOG