A nurse tree is one that provides shelter and a certain level of protection for other young plants; in this case, a saguaro cactus. Here, a palo verde tree in bloom offers shade to the cactus, enabling it to grow to a large size without getting burned in the scorching desert sun. (The tree is also giving shade to a desert cottontail bunny-rabbit!)
 |
| The Nurse Tree 8" x 10"/20cm x 25cm |
Mark Junge
Desert Adobe is a painting where my imagination took over. The distant mountains are based loosely on the Coxcomb Mountains of Joshua Tree National Park, CA. But the rest of it, including the house, are figments!
I wanted to create a sense of aloneness. Would someone living here ever feel lonely? Is the house even occupied, or is it abandoned? Who knows?? I'll leave that up to the viewer!
 |
| Desert Adobe 8" x 10"/20cm x 25cm |
Mark Junge
www.MarkJunge.com or www.SouthwestSpaces.com
I mentioned last time I was working on a scene from Joshua Tree National Park, and I posted the photo I was using as a reference. Well, it's finished!! I even included a desert cottontail bunny-rabbit, which I haven't done in a while since it's a little hard to paint them when the artwork is small!
One Desert Morning 18" x 24" / 45.7cm x 61cm
 |
| Detail -- the Bunny-Rabbit! |
Mark Junge
Here it is, June already, and the year is almost half over!! Good grief!!
Late last month I went into nearby Joshua Tree National Park before the heat would set in and dry up whatever wildflowers were left. Even so, there weren't as many as I had hoped, but I still got some awesome material for more paintings.
I'm working on one now, although I'm being rather pokey about it. I seem to have developed a major lazy streak!! (But then -- after being a workaholic for so many years in college and after, I think I'm entitled).
This is a hill I'm painting numerous times before, each a little different from each other:
Continuing the continuation!!
Mark Junge
