Smoke on the Mountain

Smoke on the Mountain

 This is the first abstract painting that I have finished since coming home from New Mexico, and it depicts some of the things I remember seeing while I was there. The rocks and trees all looked dusty, and they probably were. The weather was unusually dry when we were there, even for that area. In the midst of all of the dusty, dry colors in the natural surroundings, many of the shops and restaurants were brightly decorated with vivid color standing out against adobe buildings. I loved that.

20" x 16"

Painted with the finest quality heavy-body acrylic paint on acid-free, heavy weight Fabriano watercolor paper

Ready to frame

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Many of the rocky outcroppings had vertical cracks, with caves and boulders in and around them. The sun hitting the rocks from different angles really caught my attention (it's a good thing I wasn't driving!) and I was fascinated by the changing shadows and shapes as sunset neared and the sky changed color because of smoke from the wild fires in the area. I suppose I would have called the color of the general landscape more of a red-orange, but I know that as I watched it, there was also a lot of quiet yellow with purple shadows. 

(My Bible reading today was Isaiah 59, and it felt very fitting for much of what I am seeing on social media about recent events. As someone said this morning, "I can't even grieve for the victims because of all of the division and fighting and politics... I am just tired. I wish I could grieve for them." Yes, I feel that way too. Heaven help us.)