Valles Caldera Sky

The challenge here is to portray grasslands that stretch for miles. Cast shadows from clouds and modulation of values and color saturation help to create the effect. This 9" x 12" oil started out as a plein air piece and was completed in the studio.

Santa Rita Mountains

Here is another, somewhat quickly done, plein air piece, 9" x 12", painted during a recent trip to southern Arizona. A birder's paradise, the Santa Rita Mountains are said to be the only place in the United States inhabited at times by four species of cat: mountain lion, bobcat, ocelot and ... jaguar. On a previous trip, we caught a glimpse of a coatimundi, an unusual looking member of the raccoon family.

Tumacacori Mission

This plein air piece, 8" x 10" oil, was painted recently at Tumacacori Mission in southern Arizona during the Plein Air on the Santa Cruz event and exhibition (in the town of Tubac). It was a fun, multi-day event and participants stayed at Rancho Santa Cruz in the verdant riparian zone of the  Santa Cruz River. The painting was awarded a second place prize.