Back in February my husband and I packed our camper and two dogs to head South. We spent two weeks traversing the wondrous state of Ariozona. We first stopped at the Navajo National Monument, spent three nights in the Grand Canyon, visited Flagstaff, spent a couple nights in Sedona, continued South through Phoenix and landed in Tucson. We then looped back up and hit Petrified Forest National Park.
The Petrified Forest is known for the beautiful petrified wood that litters the ground. From the National Park Service website:
“Petrified wood found in the park and the surrounding region is made up of almost solid quartz. Each piece is like a giant crystal, often sparkling in the sunlight as if covered by glitter. The rainbow of colors is produced by impurities in the quartz, such as iron, carbon, and manganese.
Over 200 million years ago, the logs washed into an ancient river system and were buried quick enough and deep enough by massive amounts of sediment and debris also carried in the water, that oxygen was cut off and decay slowed to a process that would now take centuries.
Minerals, including silica dissolved from volcanic ash, absorbed into the porous wood over hundreds and thousands of years crystallized within the cellular structure, replacing the organic material as it broke down over time. Sometimes crushing or decay left cracks in the logs. Here large jewel-like crystals of clear quartz, purple amethyst, yellow citrine, and smoky quartz formed.”
My husband and I both agree that Petrified Forest National Park is one of the most underrated parks we’ve ever visited. Driving through the Painted Desert was absolutely awe inspiring (and somewhat eerie). Have you heard about the “Curse of the Petrified Forest”? Though I did not grab any natural mementos, I did collect a profusion of inspiration.
‘RELIC’, pictured below, is a result of all the magic we imbibed in this otherworldly place. I like to refer to the process I used for this piece as, “painting with glass”… an abstract rendition speaking to the varietal palettes of petrified wood. The colors in the horns lended the ultimate compliment, too! It’s been a while since I’ve focused a piece solely on stained glass, and I enjoyed every bit of it…
Beautiful narrative….