One way I can travel is through my imagination and reading about people and places in stories. I’ve never visited any of the popular desert locations in the US but I’ve got friends who have and I’ve seen many images. My daughter once went backpacking with a friend through the Grand Canyon. I remember the amazing pictures of the terrain. Maybe I will get there some day but for now painting something like this takes me on a similar journey.

Actually this vista does remind me of a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. I was on a plein-air workshop and stopped along a trail which had a very desert like feel. It was on Mount Desert Island. The vegetation had unique shapes and the sandy ground often cast a beautiful pink hue. I can see influences of that experience in this sketch.

In creating this painting I used a lot of the primary colors with accents of purple and orange. A cerulean blue was what I worked with to sketch in the composition. There are so many earth-tones that can easily be mixed using a cadmium yellow and violet. Again the dark tree trunks are a blend of the 3 primaries. One of the things I really like about acrylics is how forgiving they are and layering colors on top of each other can create magical happenings on the surface whether it’s canvas or paper.

This painting itself is 7″ x 4.25″. There is a small border around the artwork like you see here. This comes directly from my sketchbook and can be matted and framed. It was painted on 100lb bristol paper. The price includes shipping.

For more information or to buy the painting just click Contact.

Categories: Landscapes, NatureTags: acrylic paintings, art for sale, artists original, artists sketch, color, inspired, joy, landscape, one of a kind, original art, signed art, sketchbook, sketchbook art, southwest, the desert, women artists