Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Fall in the Desert

Fall in the desert?? C'mon -- Joshua trees and saguaro cactus don't offer much in the way of autumn colors!!

But fall colors do happen in desert areas -- one just has to know where to look!

Like -- near places where there's water, or where water may collect under the surface for a while. There you may find cottonwood trees and other smaller shrubs that change in the fall or early winter months.

For example, in early-mid November, cottonwoods in the Owns Valley of California change to a bright golden yellow. No other colors, unfortunately, but they can sure add a whole new look to a desert that may otherwise appear rather drab.

Mt. Whitney                                   8" x 10" / 20cm x 25cm

For example, this is my latest painting of such an area. It shows the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a bit of the Alabama Hills which are just off to the right, and what I believe is a park in Lone Pine, CA. Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental United States, is the distant jagged mountain glowing white with snow.

I hope to paint more scenes from this special place sometime soon!

Mark Junge

www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com



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