Intrusions of Culture (Blog)

Some rock formations stick with you in a way that you recognize them immediately when you see them. Geologic icons of your mind, so-to-speak. Casa Grande peak is one of those for me. Its shape is unique and interesting, compositionally, and contributes to the circular volcanic rim around the basin of the Chisos Mountains. 

My newest painting, Iconic Heights, showcases this high desert beauty in Big Bend National Park. There are paintings that I have a hard time assessing in my own mind as to whether or not I even like them, as strange as that may sound. And then there are paintings that I instantly connect with, even if no one else does. As it happens, I think this may be my personal favorite. I love the way the cast shadows from adjacent mountains are beginning to climb the side of Casa Grande as the day comes to an early end. Shadows can be tricky to pull off. Both value and hue have to read correctly. When that happens it's quite magical! To me, shadows can make or break a painting.

In case you were wondering, yes, Texas does have mountains. Real ones. My definition of a real mountain is one that is big enough to kill you while hiking, if you're not careful. If you can fall to your death, be eaten by a mountain lion, dehydrate because you didn't bring enough water, freeze to death or be hopelessly lost, it's a real mountain. And west Texas has plenty of them. Farther to the north and west are the Franklin, Davis and Guadalupe mountain ranges, to name a few, with the highest peak in Texas being El Capitan at some 8,000 feet above sea level. 

Iconic Heights is a 14x11 inch oil on linen canvas birch panel. Click here for details.