"Much Like A Fairy Tale"
Kristin Abraham
Acrylic - 30 Inches x 24 Inches
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Although all of Wyoming is full of inspiring contrasts in landscape, color and history, it is the northwest corner of the state that is truly a doorway to fantasy. Yellowstone National Park. It seems a cliché to use the nations first, and most widely known National Park for Wyoming’s painting, however the wonders of the land are enough to push any artist into creation. While traversing the many boardwalks along hydrothermal features, it is easy to imagine a fierce sea creature emerging from the boiling springs. Approaching a hissing cave, a dragon is seen through the heavy steam. Finally, along the bank of a gurgling mud pond, a fairy appears. The colors of Yellowstone are vibrant and iridescent. A clear sky illuminates florescent green moss and turquoise pools. Suddenly, a shifting wind generates a ceiling of gray. Deep pigments turn pastel as they transcend the thickening fog. The land is alive. Some may wonder why a fairy was chosen to represent this fantasyland. Why not a dragon, unicorn or even an elf? It is true that any of these mythological creatures would aid the viewer in their journey to a magical place. However, aside from Wyoming being home to the first National Park, it was also the first state to give women the right to vote (1869), and the first state to have a female judge. Knowing these facts, it seemed notable to illustrate the fantasy feeling of the land with a female. It is a portrait of a fairy. Nonetheless, it is equally as important that a confident woman has been given wings. As with every state, there is much to discover in Wyoming. Here lies a geologist’s dream of hydrothermal features caused by underground pockets of lava. Biologists are amazed by the coexistence of contrasting ecosystems, large and small. Dreamers, however, may uncover an awakening escape from reality.
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