Mind Eraser Print available on jonathanmachen.art

This large drawing of the Elitch Gardens ride ‘Mind Eraser’ is one of three I did on my youngest son’s birthday in October of 2018. We went down to Elitch Gardens in Denver for a family adventure at this amusement park.  I get vertigo when I do amusement rides, so I brought an easel and a large sketchbook of white paper to keep me occupied while my family did the rides.

When you put an easel and paper up in a crowded environment like Elitch Gardens, you are going to stick out. This, however, is one of the superpowers of being a pleinair artist.  The act of creating invariably leads to meaningful interactions with people you might not ever speak to. Person to person: it keeps humanity connected in a good way. 

Some of the employees told David Doorman, the manager of the park, about what I was doing. Before long, he came by to check out the drawing I was doing of Brain Drain, the first of three I did that day. Not only did he like what I was doing, he commissioned me on the spot to provide finished, framed drawings for three of his employees he planned to give awards to.

My motivation to do pleinair art on this day resulted in a commission. Pictures of the two other drawings are below.