Desert Sunrise 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

Today I was thinking about when we went to Nevada for a vacation a number of years ago and thought I would like to paint a few desert scenes at sunrise perhaps as a small triptych.

I decided to work on all three pieces at the same time, beginning with the sky and using various mixtures of French ultramarine blue and alizarin crimson as I worked down toward the bottom of the paper.

I lightly drew in the horizon line and added some mountain ranges in the distance and a large rock race in the foreground on each of the paintings.

Desert Sunrise 1

On the first one I put in some of the desert sand with a mixture of burnt sienna and raw sienna. I may change the colour of the sand slightly in each of the three paintings, depending on how they appear against the foreground rocks.

I started painting the closer rocks using various combinations of French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and alizarin crimson.

Desert Sunrise 2

Before I could complete the foreground rocks on the third painting I had unexpected company drop by and had to put everything away.

I will post each of these painting at a later date as more work on them is completed.







Desert Sunrise 3

Three Mountains - Nevada - Three Works in Progress

It is another day where they are calling for thunderstorms with the high heat 92F (33.3C) and the humidity made it feel like 108F (42.2C) and once again we are not getting any rain or stormy weather.

I pulled out these three sketches that I did while we were in Las Vegas a number of years ago (see post on 21 November 2014).














Early Morning Mountains I

I thought I would start by indicating the top line of each of the mountains that would be silhouetted against the sky.












Dark Mountains I

Then I added the some of the lines for the lower mountains below the high points.











Mountains I

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them has been completed.

Through the Canyon I - A Work in Progress

Today I was watching a program on Utah's five National Parks which are associated with distinct geographical features. It showed Arches with its arches carved out of the sandstone by the elements, to Bryce Canyon with its hoodoos, Canyonlands which is divided into three different areas: Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze, Capitol Reef with its Waterpocket Fold and Zion with its many narrow canyons and towering walls.














While it was on I started doing a few quick sketches of the canyons and rock cliffs. In this sketch I added a few horses.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more of the details have been added.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Three Mountains - Nevada

-4F (-2C) but at least there is no more snow in the forecast and the wind won't start until this afternoon which will make it feel a lot colder.














Dark Mountains I

After finding these sketches that I did when we were in Las Vegas around this time of the year and I think about how it was hot enough that we went swimming in the pool everyday and relaxed in the sun.














Early morning Mountains I

In the morning as the sun was rising I did these sketches as I looked out our hotel window at the mountain ranges in the distance.











Mountains I

I did one sketch each morning that we were there of the three different mountains: Sunrise Mountain, Frenchman Mountain and the River Mountains.

Perhaps one day soon we will return to Las Vegas, Nevada even if it is only for a long weekend.