"Canyon Wash" © #desertpainting #laurawambsgans

This is one of the new paintings that will hang at a special show next month in Pasadena.  It's a wonderful desert scene with all the classic features from the dry wash to the distant mountain.  You can just feel the heat and see a rabbit dash from one group of bushes to the next.  

Oil on Canvas,  18" X 24"

"Sacred Stone Walls" © #canyondechelly #navajoreservation #laurawambsgans

Deep in the depths of the Canyon de Chelly, other then the tracks in the sand, time seems to have stopped a 1,000 years ago.  Imagine a hawk soaring above, calling out as the shallow water snakes it's way along the cliffs, this is what you experience.  

Oil on Canvas,  24" X 30"

"The Rangers Rocks" © #canyondechelly #desertpainting #navajoreservation #laurawambsgans

Last spring when my friends and I went painting in Canyon de Chelly our Navajo guide, Irene explained to us that this is the spot where some of the scenes for the recent Lone Ranger movie were filmed.  It was easy to envision a tall white horse running between the canyon walls.  

Oil on Canvas,  16" X 20"

"Canyon de Chelly" © #canyondechellypainting #navajoreservation #laurawambsgans

Last weekend I was showing paintings at the Sierra Madre Annual Art Festival and had a great show.  While unpacking the truck, writing thank you notes and all the stuff we do to wrap up a big show I slipped in another painting of Canyon de Chelly.  Next week I am off to Carmel California to paint in the annual plein air event.  It's going to be a huge shift from painting the Southwest Desert to the Northern California coast.  I am looking forward to wearing a jacket and painting cypress trees.  

Oil on Linen 20" X 24"

"High Desert Highlights" ©

The rabbit bush is blooming!  This is one of those paintings that I spent hours moving bushes around.  Now seeing the image on the computer I am questioning the bunch on the right.  Generally it's frowned upon to have a grouping that is set apart without connecting shapes and this is a good example of why you would want to keep to the rule.  Having an element floating like an island just "feels" wrong.  Tomorrow morning I will solve the problem by adding some more rabbit brush on the right.  

oil on canvas, 16" X 20"