Bandalier. Acrylic on Panel. 32" x 49" 2014
This painting, from a trip to Bandalier, New Mexico, depicts dessicated scrub of creosote bushes on a hot day in mid summer as a storm blows in. The cumulonimbus build over the mountains under the disturbance of the frontline, and may just burn off over the plain and never reach the dry old trees. (The white branches are a survival strategy of the creosote, dropping needles in seasons of drought to conserve water.)
The image below more accurately captures the hue of the sky, yet drops out the landscape- getting a good photo of a large painting is tricky.
Bandalier. Acrylic on Panel. 32" x 49" 2014
In-process image before transparent washes, with the sky/clouds under construction and boosted landscape light dappling.