I have a body of work about the State of Utah, and my latest addition to it is of a misty morning on the Great Salt Lake. One of the early faith promoting stories of the Utah pioneers was a threat to their first crop here in the valley and an infestation of devouring crickets. They battled them to the point of exhaustion and despair in an effort to save their crops. Without this precious crop, they would surely perish during the winter months. Finally in desperation they prayed for help and within minutes thousands of seagulls descended upon the crickets. They would eat their fill, fly out to the Great Salt Lake and regurgitate them along the shore. The seagulls did this time and time again until the crickets were totally wiped out and the crops were saved. Through this miracle, those early pioneers were once again reassured that Heaven was aware of them and willing to help them in this wilderness desert. Consequently, the lowly seagull became the Utah State Bird.
During the turn of the century, a resort called "Saltair" became a very popular recreation destination. It was an amusement, dance and concert hall. It has long since been abandoned ... only a few pilings remain along the shoreline of the original old structure. "Saltair Gulls" was an easy adaptation of a study I did with Jerry Yarnell. The painting is not too technically challenging, but it was fun to figure out how to do the "misty" and "foggy" thing. Enjoy ...
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