Palm Canyon Afternoon

Painting No. 98, Palm Canyon Afternoon
San Jacinto Mountains, California
8"x10", oil on linen panel

I drove from my Dad's house near Mountain Center, along Hwy 74 looking for a spot where I could paint these Century Plants and also capture the vastness of the high desert experience. I find the Century Plant to be the most interesting of all plants in this region. The name is a little miss leading, it blooms once in it's lifetime then dies. This happens between 20-30 years of age, not at 100 years as the name would have you believe. Additionally, it's part of the Aloe family and some species can grown up to 22' in height. The closest plant in the painting is about 8' tall.
If you ever have the chance to take Hwy 74 between Palm Springs and Anza, don't pass it up! In the 20 mile stretch, the altitude changes from 500' to over 5000' above sea level. The vegetation varies from arid desert to high brush, oak trees and eventually tall shady pines near the summit.
I parked in a turn out and surveyed the rolling drainage's for a suitable composition. The Spring-like conditions are perfect, no bugs, no snakes (yesterday we saw a Rattle Snake that was big and black), nobody stopping to see what I'm up to. The sun is really bright, almost blinding without my sunglasses on. My eyes ache after an hour of working on this plein air painting. In the distance is Butterfly Peak with an altitude over 6300'.

Morning Light, San Jacinto Mountains

Painting No. 97, Morning Light, San Jacinto Mountains
Mountain Center, California
10"x 8", oil on linen panel

Just after dawn, I hike into this location near Morris Creek on the southwest corner of the San Jacinto Mountain Range in southern California.
This granite mountain range is a mix of high desert and alpine plant life, such as the Century Plants shown here together with Manzanita and stately pine trees on the distant Pyramid Peak.
As I paint, my emotional response to the scene is to try and capture the contrasts of the glacier polished granite boulders as they pass from the cool dawn colors into the bright, clear light of direct sun.The day before, my sister and I explored an area about 100 yards south of here which contained 8 indian griding holes in a large, flat granite slab. This was the home of a people called Cahuilla (Ka-we'-a), a name that translates in English as "master" or "the great nation". They have lived in this area since 1100 A.D. or longer.

Wildflowers in the Foothills

Painting No. 96, Wildflowers in the Foothills
Washoe Valley, Nevada
8"x 6", oil on linen panel

Wildflowers have begun to emerge once again along the foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. What once was flat grey's of Sagebrush and Rabbitbrush covered hillsides has now given way to shades of yellow, green and blue.
Off the beaten path and balancing on a steep hillside, I set-up my tripod and pochade box near the flowers, with a view of the Sierra's in the background. The wind is in my face and the rolling clouds from the west are threatening to bring the next storm in any minute. I paint fast, wanting to capture the light before the clouds turn everything into a muted mess of shadow colors.
This is Will James country, where he wrote Smoky, the Cow Horse at his ranch house not more that 2 miles west of here. The scenery continues to inspire those willing to leave the roads behind and roam the hills.

"The greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it."   Will James