Friday, October 05, 2012

"Mojave Evening"
12" X 24" Oil on Birch Panel

Another desert painting in late afternoon to evening light. I would thing the second one would have been easier, haha, but it wasn't. Seems like each painting presents it's own unique challenges. I'm always learning it seems with each painting. Makes you want to bang your head but it is actually a good thing.
Those foothills in the background are the beginning slopes of the San Gabriel mountain range looking south. On the otherside is the beautiful San Gabriel Valley. Back in th old West bandits like Vazquez use to hide out close to here and probably rode their horses into the foothills in this scene...ok, maybe they did.
....a detail of the painting,
    

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm loving the increased complexity of your recent work. Another gem.

Ron Guthrie said...

Hi Mick,
These desert paintings are such a challenge for me. All of those small bush like plants, the taller yucca trees and larger trees, handling the soft smaller plants in the background hiilsides. I enjoy it but it really is a lot of work handling all of the color changes and detail...or suggested detail.

I really love capturing the colors of the hillsides, the pinks, the violets, the greys and blues....all subtle color changes to make it work like it works out there. I have decided over the last few desert paintings that painting it on larger canvas sizes works much better for me. Painting the desert areas is such fun. Thanks Mick.

Marian Fortunati said...

Another nice one.. Is that chamisa... or rabbit bush???

Ron Guthrie said...

Hi Marian,
Nope, that's a creosote bush in fall which gives it that reddish color. Funny thing about creosote bushes...they grow forever so some look like small plants and others are very tall ones...maybe some are just small bush like plants. There are a lot of these taller versions near Little Rock and all along Pearblossom highway. Creosote bushes are the oldest living things I think. Of course, I'm no expert at desert plants but learning all of the time, hahaha.
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I did a search for Mojave desert painting and this took my breath away! The texture that the oil paint makes on the creosote bush is stunning. We recently purchased our very first home in East Apple Valley near Lucerne and you captured it beautifully. I probably could not afford, but is this piece by chance for sale?