Monday, November 26, 2007


The Pass
Oil on board, 5" x 7" $125.00 + $6.00 shipping in US.
SOLD

This is the Deadman Pass area of Cabbage Hill, near Pendleton, Oregon.The beauty of this landscape belies its reputation, one nearly all long-haul truckers know.

From the forested summit of the Blue Mountains, Interstate 84 snakes down a long, treacherous grade that is infamous for burning up truck brakes. It's wise to keep an eye in your rear-view mirror for runaways. I've often seen acrid-smelling blue smoke boiling from the wheels of the semis, and imagined a hard-bitten driver behind the wheel mouthing fervent prayers under his breath.

A popular T-shirt in the truck-stop gift shop at the base of the mountain says it all: "I survived Cabbage Hill."

6 comments:

Robin Weiss said...

Beautiful painting Don! welcome back to the northwest

Don Gray said...

Hi Robin, thanks for your nice comment and warm welcome--its good to be back.

kim shields said...

Love the warm colors you used in this painting.

A Reason to Paint said...

I like this one very much Don.

Zack Thurmond said...

I've been over Cabbage many times to see family in Kennewick...you've really captured that "edge of the world" feeling that one gets up there. It's really a unique pass. Welcome back to the area.

Don Gray said...

Thanks Kim, Triecia and Zack for stopping by. I do appreciate your comments.