Here in the land of seemingly endless deep blue skies, red rocks,and high desert scrub, one would not think that there is a rainy season.
Who knew?
I sure didn't, before I moved here. Right in the midst of summer's intensly scorching heat comes a respite in the form of occasional afternoon downpours.
We're lucky enough to have far-off views, so these intense storms are sometimes viewed at a distance. Other times, they'll come up over the hill suddenly. The skies will darken, the wind picks up to a fierce pitch, and huge raindrops, and even hail sometimes pelts the thirsty ground.
"Monsoon Study" , the second work,is a plein air pastel, looking in to such a storm, which is about 15 miles away.
This piece was painted in about 30 minutes, as the light was shifting at lightning speed!
The first piece, is an untitled oil, which I did in the comfort ( and safety ) of my studio from some photos I took in order to later explore these dramatic storms.
There is a great beauty in the intense darks, and highlighted bits of the landscape.
I do love the sunlight, but we all need stormy weather in order to thrive.
Yes, there is a bit of metaphorical musing in this. A recent favorite CD is Mary J. Blige's "Stronger".
She sings " I can see color"... A favorite line is "If April showers bring May flowers, then bring on the rain"...
Words to live by in these difficult times, I think.
