MCGARREN FLACK - LAKE POWELL PAINTINGS

Lake Powell is a place I return to often — in person and in memory. It's a location shaped by time, water, and erosion, but also by human intervention. This body of work isn’t meant to be a celebration or critique; instead, it is a reflection of the complicated beauty that exists in the spaces we alter and occupy. These paintings walk the line between realism and impressionism, allowing room for both clarity and ambiguity — much like the lake itself. Some are built on tonal shifts and atmosphere; others use more saturated color to suggest the intensity of desert heat or the sharp contrast between shadow and sun.
I’m drawn to the way light moves across the surface of the water, or how distant cliffs shift from solid form to hazy silhouette. These paintings are built from direct observation, memory, and studio sketches. I don’t aim to recreate the exact view, but rather to represent a version of the experience—a moment of quiet, stillness, or sometimes awe. Painting these places is a way for me to slow down and pay attention. I’m interested in that middle space where land meets water, where structure meets softness, and where permanence meets change.
Owning an original painting from this series is more than owning a landscape—it’s about having a record of a place that feels both immense and intimate. These aren’t just images of Lake Powell, but reflections of time, space, and memory. Each one is a conversation between control and spontaneity, observation and interpretation. My hope is that they offer a lasting visual experience—one that connects the viewer to something greater than the scene itself.