(inspiring music) - Hey, I'm Jayarr and on this season of "Trail Mix'd", I'm gonna take you around, under and through Arizona.

Join me in my quest to see the best trails that Arizona has to offer, from the iconic spots to the hidden gems.

Along the way, we'll be diving deep into what makes Arizona's trails some of the best in the world.

So come on, let's take a hike.

(energetic rock music) For thousands of years (upbeat music) humans have been obsessed with rocks and art.

We arrange rocks in a beautiful way, we paint small rocks as keepsakes and reminders, we inscribe patterns into rocks and create art based on the rock formations we see.

From humble pebbles to enormous rock formations, we are continually inspired.

(upbeat music continues) Today we're hiking two trails with incredible rock formations.

On the science side, we'll learn all about how those formations came to be and on the art side, we'll hike along with two talented artists and watch them create and get inspired from the geology surrounding them.

(upbeat country music) - [Announcer] "Trail Mix'd" is made possible in part by a gift from Sue and Bill Ahearn.

(upbeat country music continues) Additional support provided by... - [2nd Announcer] SRP is staying ahead of the valley's growing energy needs.

We are investing in one of the country's largest solar battery storage projects to deliver power that's as reliable as it is sustainable.

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From your determination to your resiliency, (hawk calling) both individually and as a community.

Because of you, the Arizona Lottery can use its resources to help make our state stronger, from supporting small businesses, to protecting Arizona's most vulnerable people and giving hope to future generations, paving the way for a better tomorrow, for our better tomorrow.

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Over 200 acres of Arizona grown trees, citrus and palms, complete custom design and installation, and Whitfill Nursery still does the digging, whitfillnursery.com.

- [Announcer] And by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you, thank you.

(birds chirping) (wind rustling) (scene whooshing) (inspiring music) - If you're looking for stunning rock formations, there's no better place than Sedona.

Welcome to Red Rock State Park.

Formed in 1991, Red Rock State Park is an environmental education center and nature preserve with 286 acres of vibrant scenery.

Riparian plants and wildlife thrive along the banks of Oak Creek as it ripples through the park and there are five miles of looping trails that allow plenty of exploration and views of the beautiful red rocks.

To learn more about the rock formations in Red Rock State Park, today we're talking with Ranger Riley Scantlebury.

So, where do the rocks get their color?

- A lot of the rock layers that make up Sedona contained iron rich minerals and iron, like many types of metal, when it's exposed to water, begins to rust and it forms something called iron oxide and that spreads throughout the rock layers, kinda like little dye packets, that coat all the grains in those rock layers and give them their distinctive red color.

- [Jayarr] So, does that mean that the red mountains deeper in is not red?

Like, maybe where water doesn't get to it?

- So, it actually percolates pretty evenly through the rock layer- - Yeah.

- [Riley] But there are areas where you'll see a white color returning to the rock- Mm-hm.

- And that is where that iron (bubble popping) has leached away.

A lot of the sandstone here is quartz and that quartz color would've been white before it got that coating of red on it.

- Do you see a lotta people coming in to draw, paint or do photography to find creative inspiration here?

- Yeah, it happens quite a lot, especially down by the creek.

People will set up, you know, easels to do oil paintings and you always see people taking great pictures throughout the park.

You know, they'll even tag us on social media and we'll get to see some of what their experience was.

- It was really good meeting you, Riley, thank you for teaching us about the rocks and the water and your beautiful park, I appreciate you.

- Of course.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Thanks for visiting.

- Good to meet you, good to meet you.

(upbeat music) Today I'm hiking with Ed Buonvecchio, a plein air artist based in Sedona, to learn about how he sees the famous Sedona rocks.

Hey, are you Ed?

- I'm Ed- - Good to meet you, man.

- You're Jayarr?

- I am, yeah.

- Are you ready to hike the Javelina Trail?

- I am.

- Awesome.

- Let's take a hike, huh?

- Thank you.

- Come on, let's do it.

(upbeat music continues) (bubble popping) (upbeat music continues) (bubble popping) (upbeat music continues) So, how long have you been painting outdoors, man?

- I've been painting outdoors since 2011, that's when I entered my first plein air painting contest, which was in the city of Surprise.

- Mm-hm.

- I went in first place on that.

- In your first competition you got first place?

- Yeah, yeah, I was very surprised in Surprise and uh- - Oh, high five.

(Ed laughing) Nice pun.

(hands slapping) (both laughing) - I've always been an outdoorsman and hiking (inspiring music) and I like to put those two things together and paint.

- [Jayarr] I'm sure the combination of those two things really is a heart opener, for sure.

- [Ed] Yes, it completes the circle.

- [Jayarr] Yeah.

- It's just so- - [Jayarr] Art, and there's so much art in nature naturally, you know- - Exactly, exactly.

I just love doing it, yeah.

(inspiring music continues) (bubble popping) (inspiring music continues) - Is it important to know the geology of the rocks before you paint 'em?

- Yes, I really, for myself, it's really important to research the geology just for my own self-interest, but I also find it really important once I finish a painting and it's hanging in a show, I can relate that story about the geology of the land and the terrain and people are really interested in that, they always ask those kinda questions, so you have to make yourself prepared, doing all the research.

(inspiring music continues) - The Javelina Trail (bubble popping) is a 1.6 mile loop that crosses Oak Creek (bubble popping) and leads to some beautiful viewpoint areas of the Sedona Rock formations, like Cathedral Rock and The Three Sisters.

(scene whooshing) (inspiring music continues) Hey, I see a sign here, Cathedral Rock Vista, do you wanna go check it out?

- Yeah, let's go see Cathedral Rock.

Cathedral Rock is a really iconic Sedona view.

I like to select my places where I paint based on contrast and color and the time of day that we're looking at something.

It's not as advantageous to paint during the middle of the day- - Mm.

- You know, where the sun is really high because you have less shadow, (bubble popping) but in the morning it's wonderful 'cause the shadows are very long and you've got a lot of drama that way and the colors are a lot warmer in the afternoon.

Late in the afternoon towards the evening, the shadows get long, as well, but if you've got the sun correct, the mountains just glow.

- Well, we still have a bit of time left on our hike, do you wanna see if we find, like, a better vista that's maybe later in the day?

- Definitely.

- For stronger shadows?

- Let's do it.

- All right, c'mon.

(upbeat music) (footsteps crunching) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) - [Ed] So, we're coming upon our Gray Fox Vista here- - Mm.

- And as you can probably tell, it's looking a lot more dramatic, the shadows are getting longer and longer as the day goes on.

- Are you familiar with this one?

- Oh yeah, I've been up here painting a few times and so I like this spot.

(intense music) - [Jayarr] What's the furthest you've hiked to do a plein air?

- [Ed] I think it was about six or seven miles.

I like to go hiking sometimes with my wife and take our watercolors with us.

(intense music continues) - [Jayarr] Do you think that you'll be painting landscapes for the rest of your career?

- [Ed] Yes.

(laughing) - Why?

(laughing) - Because I love it so much and it allows me to get outside, outdoors, and I don't wanna lose that.

- But what studio is better than this?

What, what studio?

- I know that's it, you know?

- What studio is better than this?

How do you, how do you, how do you, I mean, c'mon, man.

- [Ed] This is my studio.

(chuckling) - [Jayarr] Yeah.

(intense music continues) You ever listen to music while you're painting or just silence?

- Uh, I, it's pretty silent, I like to hear this, you know, (birds singing) the wind and um... (wind rustling) - [Jayarr] What's one of your favorite things about painting outdoors?

- It's the environment of, uh, the feeling I get.

It's the exertion, it's the challenge to paint outdoors.

It's not easy, a lotta times when you paint outdoors the wind is so strong that your whole easel can just fly off and you gotta start over again and then you have to carry all this equipment, and that's not easy, (intense music) but I like it, that's what the challenge is.

(intense music continues) - [Jayarr] Do you have any advice for someone that might wanna take an adventure and do something like this?

- Yeah, I would say get out there and do some sketching.

My wife and I love to go out painting out in the field and we just take our watercolors or just a pencil you can use.

To take it further, if somebody's really serious, I would suggest to take workshops.

You know, whether you're a beginner or an expert, you can meet a lot more people that do have the same interests and a lotta times you can find groups in your area to go out to paint with.

- Ed, appreciate you, man.

The sun's going down, (laughing) I feel like I should probably get outta here, but it's been amazing hiking with you and breathing with you and getting some sun and watching you delve into your practice, man, I really appreciate your time today.

- Thank you so much.

- You're the man, you're the man.

(hands clapping) Ed's painting is incredible, but not every artist inspired by rocks is a painter, some artists take inspiration from and build with the rocks themselves.

(scene whooshing) (inspiring music) ú Mary Colter was an architect during the early 1900s who designed eight buildings at the Grand Canyon, including Hopi House, Hermit's Rest, Lookout Studio and Bright Angel Lodge, all of which are still in use today.

Mary Colter was hired by the Fred Harvey Company to create designs for many of the early buildings at the Grand Canyon.

She was inspired by the scenery around her and used natural materials to mimic the natural world.

Her work was later used as the basis for architects like Herbert Maier who create in the style we now call Rustic.

Built in 1905, (inspiring music continues) the Hopi House is a large structure built with stone masonry.

It's multi-stepped roofs, tiny windows and sandstone walls are designed to pay tribute to a Hopi pueblo.

Originally an actual dwelling, now the building houses native arts for sale.

Built in 1914 (inspiring music continues) and located several miles to the west, Hermit's Rest was made as a rest stop for tourists and a last vestige of civilization before hikers descended down the Canyon by the Hermit's Trail.

Designed to look as if it was created by an untrained mountain man, Hermit's Rest is a haphazard looking structure of stone and wood.

(inspiring music continues) Lookout Studio, also built in 1914, was created to allow visitors up to the very edge of the Canyon in order to use cameras and telescopes to view and capture the beautiful expanse.

The stone chimneys and roof lines mimic the surrounding bedrock and the foundations of the Lookout give the illusion that the building almost grows right out of the edge of the Rim.

The Bright Angel Lodge, built in 1935, (inspiring music continues) has been used for many purposes over the years.

First a hotel, then a camp, and finally the lodge we know today.

Mary Colter drew inspiration from the surrounding rocks for this structure, as well.

The fireplace in The History Room features all the rock layers of the Grand Canyon, from the bottom to the top.

Mary Colter was an incredible artist who in a challenging male-dominated field, advocated her designs and added her own defining mark to the human tradition of being inspired by the natural beauty around us.

(scene whooshing) (inspiring music) Far less famous than the Red Rocks of Sedona, but no less beautiful and awe inspiring, are some really unique rock formations located about 10 minutes from downtown Prescott.

Welcome to the Granite Dells.

(inspiring music continues) To learn more about the Prescott Granite Dells, today we're talking with Merry Wilson.

We're here at the Granite Dells, will you tell us about some of the geology here?

- Yeah, well it's kind of in the title, we are surrounded by granite, which is an igneous rock that forms at depth under the surface of the earth, far at depth, it comes up as molten material and it crystallizes deep in the earth.

So, it crystallizes very, very slowly, it could be millions of years and that causes it to get really big crystals and that's why when you look at it, you see this kinda speckled texture, and this granite is 1.4 billion years old, which is pretty crazy.

- I noticed that it's a very brittle, is this granite?

- Yes, it is granite.

- I noticed that it's very brittle, like zero effort, (stone cracking) I don't have to put much effort into breaking it apart.

Why is it so brittle like that?

- It's been exposed to weathering.

So, the harder, the stuff that's, like, in the cliff face, you wouldn't be able to do that with, but the stuff out here you can and you're right, you're just individually pulling out, there are a couple of minerals that make up granite that make granite, granite.

- [Jayarr] Is there a name for these type of formations?

- Well, the weathering pattern is referred to as spheroidal weathering.

So it weathers into a rounded shape and granite tends to do that, and so this is how you can get into this, like, arm waving geology, where you can drive by and you can say, "That looks like granite", and the way you know that is because it tends to weather in shapes like this.

So, if you go out to, say, other places in Arizona, like the McDowell's, and they are also granite, and now you'll be able to look out the car window and you won't even have to stop.

- You're a geologist, so you're on the scientific side of dealing with rocks, but do you find art and beauty in these rocks?

- Definitely.

I mean, you'd have to be pretty obtuse to not see how beautiful it is here and to take that in on an artistic or spiritual side or, you know, all of those things working together, the wind and the air and the sun and the rocks and it all plays a part of what brings us to these beautiful places and I don't know many scientists that wouldn't find this beautiful, as well.

- Yeah, it's like nature is a sculptor.

Yeah, it's been a great morning spent with you, thank you for educating me about rocks and never thought I'd learn so much, (chuckling) but here you are, so appreciate your time.

- Thanks for having me.

(inspiring music) - Now that we've learned a bit about the science of the Granite Dells, let's hike 'em.

(inspiring music continues) Chroma.

- Hey man, how's it going?

- Hey, good to see you, bro.

- Haven't seen you in a while.

- So, this is my friend Chroma, I've known him about four or five years and I've seen him doing large scale, live, fast art, but we haven't hiked before together and I convinced him to bring his travel pack, so he's got a canvas with him, a tripod, and it'll be cool to see you (hands clapping) doing something in nature live, but today we're hiking the Granite Garden Loop.

Does that sound good?

- Let's go.

- Let's do it, let's take a hike.

(upbeat music) While the world knows Chroma mostly for his murals, he's a talented artist who works in many other mediums, including sculpture, canvas and digital art.

(upbeat music continues) So, how long you been doing this?

- Honestly, ever since I can remember.

You know, just going to school and not doing homework or classwork and just filling up all those books and notebooks with art, it was just something I always did.

I always got in trouble with Mom, you know, not bringing in good grades, but I was producing a lot of art- - Yeah.

- And that just made me happy.

- Look at how things turned out.

- Yeah, who would've known?

(footsteps shuffling) - Are you getting any inspiration from the landscape?

- There's a lotta colors, textures around here, so yeah, for sure.

At first I was just trying to see what I was gonna paint, but now being out here and feeling nature in the moment, I got a more clear idea of what I'm doing.

- Have you been thinking about what you wanna create?

- Yeah, I would like to paint a hummingbird.

- Why that?

- Just to represent my indigenous people in Mexico and just, you know, there's a lot of pretty birds out here, so why not do a mix of both?

(Spanish folk guitar music) - Besides hiking, this trail attracts rock climbers from all over the area.

(Spanish folk guitar music continues) (Spanish folk guitar music continues) So, we got these stairs here.

Hey, this is gonna be a good workout.

Beautiful but treacherous.

Ooh, let's go.

- Yeah.

- It'll be easier coming down.

(scene whooshing) (bubble popping) While this loop is only a mile long, scaling the rocks (bubble popping) can be challenging in places and the trail can be hard to follow.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the spray painted white dots to keep on the path.

(Spanish folk guitar music continues) (scene whooshing) So when you paint, do you like to paint with people watching or do you prefer to paint in isolation?

- I think it depends on the occasion.

Obviously when you're doing murals out there, there's no way people are gonna get close to you and ask questions, you know?

- Yeah.

- And when you're live painting, people are just there to watch you, so it's about putting on a show, you know, and just being friendly and communicating with people 'cause there's a lot of artists out there that admire that, you know?

But there's also a moment where I just wanna be alone and just listen to music and just enjoy the moment, you know?

- Mm-hm.

- So, I just want- - I think I see, I think we're coming up on a pretty good spot to get you set up to paint, man.

- All right, let's go.

(inspiring music) Hey, this looks like a pretty good area.

- Pretty flat, right?

(upbeat music) It almost looks like it was made for you.

- Right.

Yeah, I think this is gonna work out- - [Jayarr] Okay.

- For sure.

- Let's go, man.

- Yeah, let's go.

(upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) (upbeat music continues) - [Jayarr] It's very satisfying seeing first blood on that easel, like seeing, like, the first time you're putting paint on the easel.

- I think that's what's cool about spray painting, that there's really no, (paint can hissing) like, in a way, limits.

It's quick, too.

- Yeah.

- It's a little bit windy (paint can rattling) so I'm gonna have to just wait for the perfect moment to spray paint.

(paint can rattling continues) (upbeat music continues) Thank you.

(paint can hissing) (wind rustling) (paint can hissing) (wind rustling) (paint can hissing) (wind rustling) - [Jayarr] It's cool, it's like the wind is involved in your art.

I can see the different variations- - Right.

- Of the mark, so it's like the wind is, nature is involved in your art creation here.

- It's just a little collab.

(inspiring music) I do wanna start representing my Mexican indigenous side.

I come from a small town south of Mexico City that's called Huitzilac, that's in the smallest state of Mexico, which is Morelos.

Huitzilac is in the Aztec language, it means warrior hummingbirds, we're known as The Hummingbird People.

I wanna start painting my people like an Eagle Warrior, the Jaguar Warrior and the Hummingbird Warrior with children and just sharing with our youngsters that stepping up to be a father in a family.

I would definitely like to start involving the community, and why not do a collab with the kids, you know, 'cause I know how good art can be for the kids, especially when you're going through some tough times and you just, you know, you just need that moment in your world.

(birds chirping) (inspiring music continues) - Did you have any experiences like that growing up, you know, meeting other artists and painting with them, or getting inspired by art?

- No, actually I didn't, which is why I think I'm really drawn to it.

- [Jayarr] You were saying that traditionally the men in your culture don't take care of the kids, I'd love to hear more about that.

- You know, just us, as males, we are kinda not, have the freedom to show affection, so I think doing that with my art and letting kids know that it's okay to be in touch with their emotions, it's really important.

- [Jayarr] In this scenario where you're painting with kids, what message would you want them to take with them after you're done working with 'em?

- I believe that every single human being is an artist, you know, but just growing up with society's pressure, we forget about it, so I would like to remind them that holding onto those dreams can be really valuable and worth it more than anything.

Sometimes I think we just need a little bit of inspiration.

(inspiring music continues) (upbeat Spanish folk music) - That's the real deal, man.

I absolutely love the detail and honestly, the fact that you whipped that up in an hour is really impressive, but how do you feel about it?

- You know, I feel really good.

I wasn't really expecting much, but it just felt great.

The weather, the wind, I'm just happy with it.

- Thank you for being you, thank you for sharing your art, thank you for hiking with me.

- Yeah.

- Super cool.

- Nice seeing you again.

(hands clapping) - Very good to see you.

- Thank you (Spanish folk music continues) and thank you very much for hiking the Granite Garden Loop, we'll catch you on the next trail.

Whether the stunning structures of Sedona or the more simple, flowing boulders of the Granite Dells, the geological structures of our state continually inspire artists to create beautiful works of art.

I'm so thankful I got to watch a little of that creativity happen today, I'm certainly inspired (Spanish folk music continues) to keep hiking and creating, and I hope you are, too.