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 hour