Summer Storm in the Desert

Working in primarily in Unison and Terry Ludwig soft pastels, on PastelMat, I was able to create the emotion in the pastel painting, Summer Storm in the Desert. Using mostly large strokes and vivid colors in the underpainting, I was able to evoke the feeling of energy that a desert summer storm holds with the desert floor's large expanse, hemmed in with dark mountains on the horizon and the dynamic gestures of the moving clouds. This work began as a photograph taken from a moving car, proceeded through several sketches and then progressed to the completed work.