Breaking the Drought original pastel

This is part of the expansive southwestern landscape we see each day. When thunderheads began building above our home one spring afternoon in the Davis Mountains of Far West Texas, I scampered to set up my easel.

 
Painting in plein air -- on location-- means rapidly deciding what you want to express, then sticking to that original inspiration as the light changes. Three hours is about the max time you have for a painting session. Since I can't paint all the detail I enjoy putting into my landscapes in such limited time, in this plein air pastel, I focused on getting the energy of the clouds down, and also on capturing the glow of light soaking the ranch's parched grass. I didn't even get my three hours in before wind and rain from the promised storm drove me indoors.

I set back up on location the next afternoon, then completed this one by polishing it my studio.

This is one of a series of five plein air paintings I exhibited as the featured artist for an invitational show at Dallas Heritage Village Museum, "Following Frank Reaugh". I did all five of these landscape paintings on location, and within a stone's throw of one another on Crows Nest Ranch. Together, they document the end of a devastating drought, the first promise of rain with this dramatic thunderstorm, wildflower sprinkled grass waving for the first time in years, summer's languid growth, and finally, the lush green of monsoon season in the high desert Davis Mountains. 
It was a very good year.