Arizona Desert
Works inspired by the
In 2021, the Marine Corps stationed my husband and I in Yuma, Arizona. We had heard complaints about the heat, the border politics, and the lack of entertainment (as I would consider it to be a small town). Having lived there for two years, I was disappointed to leave an entire year earlier than expected.
This place has a cultural beauty instigated by its history as an old western prison town intermixed with a transient demographic influx of snowbirds, military personnel, immigrants, and agriculturally-driven commercial truck drivers. From the encompassing Hollywood-esque Date Palm groves to the life-giving current of the Colorado River to the unmatched decadence of every sunset, I’m thankful to have experienced all of it.
I found myself exploring the ‘desert’ in every aspect of the word, and became closer to myself with every demonstration of life in this otherwise arid landscape. What is, at first glance, an empty vista devoid of the lushness thought of as “wilderness” is actually a comprehensive ecosystem performing at the highest capacity possible in the natural world. The fine dance between Life and Death are on display at every moment - where a desperate bird battered by a relentless climate exhales in finality, delicate wildflowers begin to flourish in the exact conditions of which killed the bird. Life is everywhere and it’s inspiring to look at.
Farwell, Yuma Series
Each piece describes a moment in the Yuma area during a different time of day, collectively creating one full day. Each frame was refurbished with a textured paint color chosen specifically for each individual piece. Handcrafted decorative matting and exposed edge mounting to honor the energy of the paint clumping off the panel fringes. External frame measurements vary per painting, however, internal openings are all 11” x 14” (with the exception of Moonrise which measures 10” x 13”). Panels are either 9” x 4” or 6” x 4”.
1. Early Morning
2. A Dusty Sunrise
3. Glamorous Palm
🔴4. Quintessential Yuma
5. Blooming Palo Verde
🔴6. High Noon Heat
7. Warm Afternoon
🔴8. Evening Saguaro
9. Sonoran Sunset
🔴10. Moonrise
Selected Works Focused on Skies
Summer Clouds - Yuma, AZ
16” x 12”
Oil on canvas panel
🔴
Calm Reflections
30" x 40"
Oil on Stretched Canvas
The goal of this piece was more in the process than anything - I attempted to create a weightlessness to the air by restricting my brushstrokes. All marks were performed in a vertical orientation, experimenting with light and color for a calming effect.
Expanding Sky 1 - 12" x 9"
🔴 Expanding Sky 2 - 12" x 16"
Untitled Expanding Sky - 30" x 40"