Uranium Prospector Turned Artist during the last great uranium boom of the 1970’s, I co-owned and operated a mining and exploration company, North American Resources Corp. based in Salt Lake City, operating out of Moab, Utah. I prospected, staked claims, drilled, and promoted uranium properties all over the Colorado Plateau. Once, I even confronted an armed claim jumper. I wheeled and dealed with local claim owners and major energy companies often doing million dollar deals on napkins in bars and restaurants into the wee hours. During this period I met with the legendary Charlie Stein and the late mining magnate, adventurer, and art collector, Maxie L. Anderson (the first balloonist to cross the Atlantic Ocean). Mr. Anderson, subsequently purchased and commissioned paintings including the original oil painting entitled Red Canyons, which was the basis of the Red Canyons serigraph that President Reagan displayed in the White House and which appeared on an episode of the Murder, She Wrote TV show. Working and living in canyon country, I was captivated by the amazing red rock vistas around Moab. I began doing photo studies and sketches of the scenes I encountered prospecting in the area. When I returned to Salt Lake City, I turned many of these studies and sketches into paintings,a practice I continue to this day. Although I have studied art both privately and at the University of Utah, I am essentially self-taught. My first recognition as an artist came at the age of eight when ... view more »
Uranium Prospector Turned Artist during the last great uranium boom of the 1970’s, I co-owned and operated a mining and exploration company, North American Resources Corp. based in Salt Lake City, operating out of Moab, Utah. I prospected, staked claims, drilled, and promoted uranium properties all over the Colorado Plateau. Once, I even confronted an armed claim jumper. I wheeled and dealed with local claim owners and major energy companies often doing million dollar deals on napkins in bars and restaurants into the wee hours. During this period I met with the legendary Charlie Stein and the late mining magnate, adventurer, and art collector, Maxie L. Anderson (the first balloonist to cross the Atlantic Ocean). Mr. Anderson, subsequently purchased and commissioned paintings including the original oil painting entitled Red Canyons, which was the basis of the Red Canyons serigraph that President Reagan displayed in the White House and which appeared on an episode of the Murder, She Wrote TV show. Working and living in canyon country, I was captivated by the amazing red rock vistas around Moab. I began doing photo studies and sketches of the scenes I encountered prospecting in the area. When I returned to Salt Lake City, I turned many of these studies and sketches into paintings,a practice I continue to this day. Although I have studied art both privately and at the University of Utah, I am essentially self-taught. My first recognition as an artist came at the age of eight when my work won first prize at the annual exhibit at the world-famous Old Mission at San Juan Capistrano, California. I also spent time in Europe studying the work of the Renaissance Masters. While in England, in the early 1970’s, I was the principle artist for an international magazine. In late 1987 I created new art form I call Multi-Dimensionalism. I was granted a U.S. Patent for this user-interactive, total-experience art form in 1990. Of this new art form, Vern Swanson, Director of the Springville Museum, wrote .". . I was captivated by the beauty, peacefulness and stimulating quality of Blackburn’s creation. I fully recommend this radical new innovation . . . We believe that his work will make an important contribution to society for the immediate future, bringing art back to the people." I am also an internationally published poet, and author of the soon-to-be-released book entitled: How.
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