Tag: desert

A Bit of Summer

My sister lives in Colorado where they are expecting some nasty, cold, snowy, icky weather. Nice to visit, but I don’t like living in it! As a result, a bit of summer, or certainly a bit of desert heat. As there is rather lush vegetation out in this neck of the woods, or desert, I think it must be early summer. And where I am in California, our 63F day has not been exactly summery. I need some heat – just like a lizard – to bask in. We’ll get it this weekend.

The more I look at the desert, the more I like it. The colors are a challenge as are the rock formations and plants. The light can be harsh and bright compared to the coast. The dirt varies from pale ochre to deep reds and oranges, with everything in between. Even the sky has its intensity and harshness, from sunny and bright to dark and foreboding with the threat of cloudbursts and thunderstorms.

I took my gouache paints with me to my painting class. I’ve missed a number of sessions just because my back was not happy and lifting or carrying became a challenge for several days. My oil paints are heavy to lug around, but gouache takes up a lot less room and weighs a lot less, too. Paper is less cumbersome than canvas, and what I used to paint on weighs very little as well. I made it to class with a shopping bag and my purse for all I needed.

Gouache always makes me happy – the colors are so ridiculously gouache-y! They have a vibrancy which nothing else equals, and so they are fun to use. Some people dislike their in-your-face quality. Add to that, the artists gouache is water soluble and clean up is a breeze. A few soft brushes, some water, smooth paper (I prefer Arches hot press 140# all-cotton paper, FYI), and a fairly extensive color selection. Zinc white is used for mixing, but titanium white is useful where you need a bright white or a bit more opacity. Ivory black is also part of the color selection. Altogether, gouache has a lot of qualities that other media have while have a unique quality all their own. Fast drying, opaque, dilutable, etc., etc., etc.

Try them, you might like them.

Gouache, Arches 140# cotton hot press watercolor paper, 9×12.

Tecopa Hot Springs

I’ve been too focused on too many things rather intensely and it makes me unsociable and not interested in the small and seemingly unimportant stuff that makes up daily living. One of these focal points has been painting. I have been working on this oil painting off and on for several weeks, and think it is finally done to my liking.

Tecopa Hot Springs is located in the Mojave Desert in Inyo County, California. It is not a very populated area. The hot springs are odorless, mineral springs considered to have healing properties. In my area the hot springs are quite sulfurous and smell like rotten eggs, so odorless is nice! The view from the springs is spectacular, taking in the land and the mountains beyond. This is a bit of the grandeur that is California.

I took a bit of a colorist approach to this painting, a bit of imagination and improvisation as well. Realism is for photography, so here I could play around while working to capture a sense of the place. I like semi-abstract or colorist paintings which keep the subject recognizable.

Oil on canvas panel, 16×20.

Desert Spring

I have been painting too much in oils – slow process, very satisfying, but it doesn’t come close to watercolors. I needed to take a break from it and return to my first love . . .

We have had a few good rains this year, and that can mean the desert blooms! The plain beige becomes green and flowers blossom. Sparse, harsh landscapes become far more gentle and welcoming. Death Valley was filled with life this year.

Watercolors, 10×14 Arches 140# rough paper.

Into the Desert

The southeastern corner of California is primarily desert. The land varies. There are hot springs, mountains, little rainfall, sparse vegetation. Days can be hot, nights can be cold. Within it are contained major parks and areas, which include Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley and the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Farming here is supported by irrigation from the Colorado River, but as times go by, the Colorado is not able to support farming as it once did. Despite its rather hostile environment – at least to people in some ways – this part of California is stunning. Its austere beauty is something perhaps not appreciated initially, but with time and observation, it becomes a magical landscape. There are towns, too, where you can stay to visit and learn a bit about the desert and its land and people.

This afternoon was a sort of what-do-I-want-to-do day. I really didn’t know. The winds are up right now, and anything done outdoors would require hanging onto everything. So, an indoor watercolor rather than an outdoor oil painting was my choice. And as far as any planning – well, let’s just say I did this on the proverbial wing and a prayer.

Overall, I blocked in the major color areas, using lighter colors. First came the sky, then the mountains of blue and orange brown. The road was limned in, along with the greens of the vegetation. Once dried, details were added. I used the hair dryer a lot! Finally, white gouache here and there, splatters of reddish and bluish paint, and here we are.

I am quite surprised that it turned out as well as it did – at least in my opinion!

Watercolor, Bockingford 140# CP, 12×16.