California fiction, California art, California History, California missions, "The Pelican Talks to Jack" by John Graham, pelicans, MoorsThe Cliff at El Fornio by John Graham

"The Cliff (at El Fornio)"
John Graham
pastel, graphite, dry brush on paper
35"W x 44"H

I WANDERED UP A LOT OF ARROYOS when I visited the area on Memorial Day weekend, 1997. There was so much stuff dumped in the bottoms of many of the canyons. We saw rusted metal that had held wooden boxes together, rebar, empty cans, old trash, some fresh trash. Between the cracks of the rocks and detritus grew flowers, datura, weeds, volunteer tomatoes and tomatillos sometimes. Blue-belly lizards ran around the rocks as you made your way farther and farther up the walls of any particular arroyo. We never saw rattlesnakes, but I knew they were around somewhere.
CLICK any one of the rollovers for details.