Tag: red rocks

In the Devil’s Garden

The American Southwest is amazing. Austere, rugged, rich colors of red barren stone showing sedimentary rock layers in many different colors. Plant life is tough and diverse and needs to be able to withstand extreme heat and cold, as well as arid conditions. Portraying these colors is really a challenge and a lot of fun as well! Here is the Devil’s Garden Trail area in Arches National Park. I thought doing it in pen and color might be the easiest route . . .

Strathmore Vision paper, 9×12, ink, watercolor.

A View of Zion National Park and the Virgin River

Pixabay is home to a lot of great pictures! I used one of them – as you can see below – to create this watercolor. Unfortunately, the scan doesn’t show the real warmth of the rocks as painted very accurately as it could, but c’est la vie.

I chose this subject because the warm rocks on the left and right of the photo move into cooler ones as atmospheric conditions work their magic. The foreground of the photo is very dark and trying to catch the details and put them all in shadows was also a challenge. I also tried to create a focal point for the watercolor, namely the point at which the Virgin River, in the lower middle center of the painting and photo, turns. At this apex I also tried to create some visible interest to lead the eye into the canyon beyond. Of course, the big rock structures also add to this sense of depth.

Painted in watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140# CP paper.

Virgin River

Practicing watercolor, and here we are – once more addicted!  My new routine is artwork in any form, and then some sewing or other fiber arts.  Gardening soon now that it isn’t raining.  Life in quarantine hasn’t changed our lives much here – no kids to home school – but it has helped to focus on what is important in our lives besides food!

9×12 Arches watercolor, done mostly with a angle brush and rigger.  Some gouache used.