Friday, January 15, 2010

After a pretty fruitful day this is where I am on my Arizona Anvil cloud. Am pretty well working on the vegetation and remembering my times in the desert. Great hikes and country and ever mindful that everything out there bites.
Several years ago a number of aritst friends and myself gathered at a Scottsdale restaurant for dinner and while waiting outside for a table observed several kids playing around a Saguaro that was in the courtyard. I told those kids that it would bite if they were not careful. Kids being kids one little boy just had to touch the trunk. Sure enough it bit. In tears I think he learned a desert lesson.

12 comments:

Pat said...

I love the progress and seeing the process. Thanks for sharing
pat

m1 Designs said...

Oh this is beautiful. Having lived in Northern Nevada for some time it is not unusual to find a rattle snake at the back door. Interesting landscape there but I must say that I prefer our part of the country.

MILLY said...

It is wonderful to see where you live through your paintings. Lovely to hear from you, best wishes for 2010 and more amazing paintings.

April Jarocka said...

Wow. A stunning piece Gary! Iam there the longer i look at it!! Hope you are well:)

LES LEFEVRE said...

awesome painting!! one of my favorites.

CountryDreaming said...

What a massive cloudscape towering over the desert! The Saguaro stand up and take notice of this presence in their deep blue sky while dark sands sink into silence.

Teresa Mallen said...

Stunning anvil cloud!! Yes, kids will be kids, there had to be one to test it didn't there? :-)

Paul Coventry-Brown said...

That is an awesome painting Gary. Great lighting and what an amazing composition. Wonderful :-)

Unknown said...

Gary, Living in the AZ desert (a native in fact!) I am struck by the correctness of this painting, both in detail and feeling of a monsoon evening with those spectacular clouds we get at that time. I am also studying your perspective on such a wide format canvas. Very interesting approach to this familiar scene.

L.Holm said...

And even more powerful now! Awesome at each stage, Gary. Love the warms leading us across the desert.
once bitten, twice shy. :-D

Debra Keirce said...

Great painting! And I love it when a painting takes you back and brings great memories while you are creating it.

Bruce Sherman said...

Hi Gary!...My first visit to your site. Never been in your part of the country... YET! Love the anvil cloud... very dramatic moment... very realistically portrayed! Well done!''I'll be back!

Good painting!
Cheers!
Bruce Sherman