The reference image for this painting was taken near my house. I wanted the capture the unusual sky and sunset colors with this majestic saguaro surrounded by other beautiful desert flora. The distant mountains were hazy and lite up by the sunset setting just above them....
Superstitions
This painting captures the rock formations in the Superstition wilderness in Arizona. The rock pillars are called Hoodoos and can take on some unusual shapes that are both fun and challenging to paint. The rock face is detailed but I wanted the grass to have a loose and abstract feel while maintaining the sense of realism....
Palo Verde
Arizona has some of the most amazing sunsets. This evening high thin clouds were catching a purple light over a peach sky. We came across this Palo Verde tree thriving as it grew from between rocks. It seemed such a beautiful message of this strong tree under a brilliant sky, still thriving and growing in a hard place. I hope this painting conveys this....
Rolls to Four Peaks
Rolls Off High Vehicle area is a place where many people enjoy taking off-road vehicles, but it also has a stunning view of Four Peaks. This was a little past golden hour when the sun was still just hitting the exposed granite tops of Four Peaks and making colored striations in the cloudless sky. This painting was a little experimental as I wanted to give a textured feel to the rough mountain tops while maintaining a smooth feel to the weathered sides. I also increased the look of the colored striations in the sky to play up the rainbow feel of the light. It is on an aluminum panel so that...
Ocotillo
This sunset looked like it was on fire, but was framed by high pastel clouds of luscious pink. After a wet winter, the Ocotillo in the area are also putting on their best show with new leaves and flowers. This painting is a combination of palette knife work for the parts of the sky and looser grass in the foreground....
