Midnight Majesty

Acrylic Painting 11" x 14"

I am drawn to the wilderness at night and early morning. There is something so magical and majestic about these times of day; I feel like Creation reveals to me its awe in ways I would miss by the bright of day. However, nocturnal excursions in the backcountry bring their own set of safety and logistical challenges. On this particular trip, Studio Puppy proved her worth.

Like all nocturnal paintings, I first scoped out the area by daylight to avoid potential dangers like false trails and falling off of cliffs or mountainsides (occupational hazard!). I also use these “dry runs” to finalize my artistic ideas. This particular location features dozens and dozens of crisscrossing trails in a dry riverbed, with little to no landmarks to differentiate them. When I returned that night, I had completely underestimated the sheer level of darkness with a moonless sky in a canyon, even with a powerful headlamp! It was so dark, I just aimed my camera in the general direction of what I wanted to capture and hoped for the best.

After the photoshoot, when I prepared to go back, my headlamp was

insufficient to help me navigate the myriad of crisscrossing trails in the inky darkness. As I stood there considering setting up camp for the night (I always carry full gear for life’s little surprises), Studio Puppy went to one of the trails and started confidently trotting along it, looking back at me expectantly. I’d worked with her tracking objects and people before, but I had never considered that she would use those skills to help us back-track to safety. I followed Studio Puppy, and she unerringly took us back to the trailhead. After that experience, I now use offline mapping tools to ensure my safety.

Despite that technology, after every photoshoot, Studio Puppy always backtracks and leads us safely home—no GPS required.