Santa Elena on the Rio Grande original watercolor

There is perhaps no image of Big Bend and the Rio Grande River more powerful that of the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon. Countless people have rafted or canoed this stretch of the river and gazed open-mouthed at the towering cliffs of this geologic wonder.

This scene has been photographed and painted many times over the decades. I consider myself fortunate to be among them. “Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande” was painted en plein air and takes its place in a long list of attempts to capture it’s beauty.