Escalante Valley - Colored Pencil Drawing
"Escalante Valley - Colored Pencil Drawing" The Escalante Valley in Utah is a lonely arroyo hewn by a serpentine river that in the late fall can be easily forded in order to gain access to a labyrinth of arches, grottos and hidden glades. Unfamiliar with such a preternatural territory, it is a strange and mystical wilderness. Rising from a field of fiery grasses, the ancient rock formations tower above the desert floor, carving out a rugged skyline. The primordial beauty is enhanced by an explosion of autumn hues that can only be expressed with color from across the entire palette. The reddish buttes are sculpted from a progression of steep tiers and scarred by vertical striations. While defining the extraordinary shapes, the distinct shadows stay warm except for the deepest that trend towards purple. The desert ramparts are an exceptionally rugged borderland concealing the remote river chasm. Running along the base of the sheer walls, raw galleries preserve magnificent petro...