March 2012

On a trip to the Desert Southwest in February, I took a hike at Cima Dome in the Mojave Desert. The hike on that sunny, chilly day was exhilarating. As usual, I brought my sketch pad and some vibe charcoal. As the bright sun raked the fractured hills sidelong, I could help but make a bold, brush-and-ink type of drawing. I rushed my drawing as the chill stiffened my fingers.

After returning home from the trip, I worked my drawings an a couple photos into a painting. I wanted to capture the severity of the landscape and the brevity of my visit and so preserved the high contrast of my drawings. I added colors in unrefined, unblended washes – as would have been the case had I my paints with me on the trip.