The top four paintings are scenes from Big Bend and Palo Duro Canyon.  After all of the city scenes that I did from New York City I decided to try to experiment with some of my favorite plein air subjects and none are more dear to me than desert views of Texas.  Cactus in particular is a fascinating subject not just for its color and shapes but it’s struggle against the harsh environment in which it lives.  It often changes color from one season to another, I haven’t done a cactus in bloom. that is yet to come. I found I had many photos of flowers taken in France, most in the Rodin Gardens, I decided to try to attack the subject.  The following four paintings are from those attempts.  Flowers are really amazing and difficult to paint, they are opaque and transparent at the same time.  I love them best when they are virtually at the end of their bloom, Tinges of frown are beautiful agains the color vibrant colors.

I’ve been using Arches fine grain cold press watercolor paper 300 gm.  Natural white.  I used to wet it and tape it to a board and let it try so it did not  get wrinkly as I painted on it.  I have not done that the past 2 months.  140 lb is heavy enough that I don’t think it is really necessary.  On the Holly Hawks at the right I used a lot of a favorite color of Mel Stabin - Opera.  It is really operatic and loud, but an incredible fushia.  Another favorite of his is Gamboche yellow.  It is a kind of dirty yellow, transparent I believe.  On the lily painting, i really got into trouble in the background.  I wanted it dark and rich, but it became mud.  I tried to wipe it out/off and redo it but you can see the result.  My favorite is the many petaled rose below.  It made me think of the huge hats that my mother used to make with special silk flowers that were from France.  Some were “moss” roses and had fuzzy stems like they were covered with moss.  I’ll keep trying.  I have many more days of stay at home time.