Cactus in the rain
Posted: February 4, 2024 Filed under: Uncategorized 19 CommentsI’m just back from a teaching trip in Arizona. My sketchbook is filled with drawings of desert landscapes and historic architecture, and there’s much to scan and share in the coming days. Most of the sketches in that book were done in the context of my workshops but here’s one I painted on a rainy afternoon before my students arrived.
Unlike last year’s trip when almost every day was sunny, this year we had lots of rain, including on the day we arrived. Luckily I had a view of the Sonoran desert from my room and a comfy chair in front of the window, and I tried to capture a view of the varied vegetation in the mist. The desert landscape looks very different after a downpour. Everything is greener and brighter when the dust gets washed away by the rain. Ok, maybe not as yellow as I made it seem, but certainly more vivid than the grey Montreal I left behind.
Lovely colors
Fabulous job with the cactus colours
Love the tonalities, it’s irresistible Shari!
Welcome back XX
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Gosh, this is stunning! Looks like gouache to me. So beautifully done.❤️
Lovely. Shari, what do you use to get the sagey green of the saguaro?
Carol, I probably used a lot of Cerulean Blue and Hansa Yellow plus Raw Sienna.
For me, the desert is always changing, and part of it is weather and part of it my own mood. How can you not but warm it up and enliven it after all that dust is gone? The colors are subtle but there and when it’s all clean and fresh, well, that is when you see even more than before. Lovely job catching the light and mood after the rains.
in 2024 my doctor of Seasonal Affective Disorder advised sun in January and I opted for Key West, FL. Your 2023 Tanque Verde workshop was the highlight of my painting year.
This a particularly lovely piece. Love the lemon sky.
Nice Watercolour Painting Shari, wah what a year. Just eeep lots of stress. I really like how the cacti in your painting grace the sky in a citadel of texture.
Shari, This is such a lovely painting, so delicate and expressive. Coming from “frigid” Montreal, I’m wondering what colors you used for this painting and if you change your palette when painting the desert southwest.
Hi Pat, thanks so much. I used my regular palette when I go to the desert. The only thing that is different is that I use a brighter Cerulean Blue Hue from Da Vinci to get the bright blue skies. Other than that, I can mix just about anything from the 18 colours I have.
I am so happy that Arizona has got some rain – love the vibrancy. How do you scan your work by the way? Right now my “scanning” is taking shots of my work with my iPhone.
Fresh and vibrant. Captured!
Beautiful painting of the desert. Many people don’t realize the colors in the desert. You captured it so well. Your composition is perfect.
So Beautiful! Love the colors, Shari:)
Wow!!! Your greens in this are great…such variety!
HI JoAnn!
I hope you get this. What a pain that must have been! Glad you have a new email address.
You may have to resubscribe to follow the blog. I tried to add you but wasn’t successful. It’s on the sidebar on the right side.
Shari
Yes, I got this one a few days ago. ❤️ Bonnie
Hallo,shari! Hier,wie erbeten ein Kommentar zum funktionscheck….Ihre Kakteen!!!!!! Sie sind ( mal wieder,wie immer, natürlich,wie nicht anders erwartet…)……wunderschön und ich bedanke mich ,dass sie mir damit an meinem Geburtstag eine Freude gemacht haben .Viele Grüße aus Hannover, germany,von Susanne harms