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Showing posts from June, 2022

Desert Gateway - Colored Pencil Drawing

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"Desert Gateway" Colored Pencil Offering sanctuary from the furnace of sweltering heat, a chain of blue mountains streaks across the background of a fiery landscape. The desolate environment is stark, harsh and lonely. Despite its beauty, the desert is a brutal place that can bring your demise at any moment. Not only is the severe climate and rugged terrain a problem but a sudden snake bite can be deadly. The wide open space is broken by terraces of escarpment that appear more red as they recede. Applied with precision, smooth gradations mask the rugged nature of this rocky netherworld. The bleached shelf in the foreground is bathed in a bright yellow made even more vibrant by the violet shadows. Yet, the most shocking aspect is the shimmering sulphur sky that results from a mid-summer sun. This non-naturalistic expression is not designed to display superficial accuracy. The arid plateau is too straightforward to tether with complicated details so a more symbolic appr...

Summer Snowstorm - A Startling Rebellion

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Summer Snowstorm After about a week of warmer weather, summer’s first glimmer was promptly extinguished by winter’s last gasp. The cold front swirled into the area disrupting the local inhabitants’ annual activities. It was just days before the unofficial start to summer when an intransigent snowstorm pummeled the foothills into a deep freeze. The startling weather rebellion was a dramatic turn of events that shocked the unsuspecting ecosystem. The sturdy pine trees were cemented with a plaster of heavy, wet snow, bending limbs almost to their breaking point. The greening meadows were buried under immense drifts that swelled like waves in a great, white sea. Down at the recently thawed lake, the black water contrasted sharply with the frosted marshland. The fresh inkwell captured faithful reflections of the entombed valley’s stark beauty. Low hanging clouds skimmed across the summits of background peaks creating an imposing atmosphere. The intimidating effect conjured by the su...