SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN PAINTED BY HANSON PUTHUFF

HANSON PUTHUFF (1875-1972)

Superstition mountain (1,910 m - 6,266 ft) 

United State of America (Arizona) 

In Enduring Ramparts - Superstition Mountains 

The mountain

 Superstition Mountain (1,910 m - 6,266 ft) is part of the Supertistions mountains range popularly called "The Superstitions",  also called Wi:kchsawa in Yavapai langage and Sierra de la Espuma  Spanish. It is  located in Arizona, east of Phoenix. The mountain range is in the federally designated Superstition Wilderness Area, and includes a variety of natural features in addition to its namesake mountain. 

- Weavers Needle, a prominent landmark and rock climbing destination set behind and to the east of Superstition Mountain, is a tall eroded volcanic remnant that plays a significant role in the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. According to this legend, a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz discovered a mother lode of gold in the Superstition Wilderness and revealed its location on his deathbed in Phoenix in 1891 to Julia Thomas, a boarding-house owner who had taken care of him for many years. 

-  Peralta Canyon, on the northeast side of Superstition Mountain, contains a popular trail that leads up to Fremont Saddle, which provides a very picturesque view of Weavers Needle. Some Apaches believe that the hole leading down into the lower world, or hell, is located in the Superstition Mountains. Winds blowing from the hole is supposed to be the cause of severe dust storms in the metropolitan region.

- Miner's Needle is another prominent formation in the wilderness and a popular hiking destination.

The Superstition Mountains have a desert climate, with high summer temperatures and a handful of perennial sources of water.  Numerous hiking trails cross the mountains from multiple access points, including the Peralta Trailhead, the most popular. The Lost Dutchman State Park, located on the west side of Superstition Mountain, includes several short walking trails.

The Superstition Mountains are bounded roughly by U.S. Route 60 on the south, State Route 88 on the northwest, and State Route 188 on the northeast.

The painter 

Hanson Duvall Puthuff was a landscape painter and muralist, born in Waverly, Missouri. Puthuff studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to Colorado in 1889 to study at University of Denver Art School. He traveled to Los Angeles in 1903 and for 23 years worked as a commercial artist painting billboards while painting landscapes in his leisure. In 1926, he abandoned commercial art and devote full-time to fine art and exhibitions. He is nationally famous for his lyric interpretations of the Southern California deserts.  Puthuff was one of the cofounders of the California Art Club and the Laguna Beach Art Association. He won awards in 1909 from the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, a bronze medal at the Paris Salon in 1914, and two silver medals from the Panama-California Exposition in 1915. His works are exhibited in, among other places, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, and Bowers Museum. Many of his works are also cataloged in the Smithsonian American Art Museum art inventory. Puthuff died in Corona del Mar on May 12, 1972. In 2007, the Pasadena Museum of California Art featured California Colors: Hanson Puthuff, the first solo museum exhibition of his work. In conjunction with the exhibit, the Museum republished the artist's autobiography.

SANDSTONE PEAK / MOUNT ALLEN BY HANSON PUTHUFF

HANSON PUTHUFF (1875-1972)

Sandstone Peak or Mount Allen (949 m - 3,114 feet)

United States of America (California)  

 In Mount Allen, oil on canvas, 1920, 1930,1950

The mountain 

Sandstone Peak (949 m- 3,114 feet ) also known as Mount Allen, is a mountain in Ventura County, California, and the highest summit in the Santa Monica Mountains. Located near the western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the summit provides panoramic views of Malibu, The Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica, the Conejo Valley, and four of the Channel Islands. The Sandstone Peak Trail, which leads to the top, connects to a vast trail system in the area, including the Backbone Trail. The mountain is highly popular with climbers, hikers, campers, and photographers.

The Boy Scouts of America petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to name the mountain for W. Herbert Allen who had donated land for nearby Camp Circle X and other Boy Scout camps. He served as president of the Los Angeles Area Council. The board denied the request because of a long-standing policy not to approve a geographic name in commemoration of a living person. The land is now known as the Circle X Ranch, a park unit located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Sandstone Peak can be climbed all year. The best months probably are October through June with clearer views. Summer tends to be quite hot despite the proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
There are two main trails to the summit. The Sandstone Peak Trail, which starts from the Sandstone Peak trailhead off Yerba Buena Road about one mile east from the Circle X Ranch main house. This trail is about 3 miles roundtrip with ~ 1,100 feet of elevation gain. The second, longer, trail is the Mishe Mokwa Trail, which is about 6 miles roundtrip and a total of ~ 1,400 feet elevation gain. The trailhead is a short distance further east from the Sandstone Peak trailhead on Yerba Buena Road. Both trails are in very good condition and well maintained. To reach the summit of Sandstone Peak a short but fun scramble over reddish, volcanic rocks (not exceeding class 2) is necessary.

Source: 

- Summitpost.org 

The Painter 

Hanson Duvall Puthuff was a landscape painter and muralist, born in Waverly, Missouri. Puthuff studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to Colorado in 1889 to study at University of Denver Art School. He traveled to Los Angeles in 1903 and for 23 years worked as a commercial artist painting billboards while painting landscapes in his leisure. In 1926, he abandoned commercial art and devote full-time to fine art and exhibitions. He is nationally famous for his lyric interpretations of the Southern California deserts. 

Puthuff was one of the cofounders of the California Art Club and the Laguna Beach Art Association. He won awards in 1909 from the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, a bronze medal at the Paris Salon in 1914, and two silver medals from the Panama-California Exposition in 1915. His works are exhibited in, among other places, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, and Bowers Museum. Many of his works are also cataloged in the Smithsonian American Art Museum art inventory. Puthuff died in Corona del Mar on May 12, 1972.

In 2007, the Pasadena Museum of California Art featured California Colors: Hanson Puthuff, the first solo museum exhibition of his work. In conjunction with the exhibit, the Museum republished the artist's autobiography.

Sources: 

- Askart