Thunderhead

There is not much pure white observable in clouds. If you study them closely you will see they are made up of shades of gray, with a relatively few brilliant highlights of warm, yellowish white. These highlights of reflected sunlight create the illusion that the entire cloud is "whiter" than it actually is.

Clouds Adrift

The air is cool and fresh after a storm. Here, the fragments of a once larger storm cloud float across the blue sky and bid farewell.

Creeping Shadows

Greens in the desert Southwest are mostly pale or muted. It's necessary to have a presence of mind when observing the subject and mixing paint in order to avoid transforming a painting of the desert into a rainforest landscape. There are times, however, when intense greens can be observed, and these are enhanced when the sun is low in the sky. Such was the case when I discovered this early evening scene along the highway to Cochiti Lake in New Mexico. Dappled light on the foreground shadow area made for spots of intense green.

Load of Firewood (study)

This painting shows another view of Highway 6 in New Mexico. I was attracted by the brilliant sunlight that penetrated the fragmented layers of storm clouds and reflected off the highway surface and building.