When a friend invited Jodi and I to their ranch in Texas, we were told to bring good boots, jeans and long sleeved shirts because the country would be really rough and rattlesnape prone. How rough could it be I thought...I've lived in the wilderness for fifteen years. Well, it can be much more rugged, especially in volcanic, desert landscapes and canyons like this. The rocks are jagged and sharp, the vegetation too, though the floor of this canyon had been burnished glass smooth in some places from flash floods and historic higher water. Lots of evidence of early habitation in caves and bowls carved right into the rock.

With a sketchbook in hand I sat on the floor of the canyon and did a quick ink sketch of this view. Back in my studio I worked from that sketch and a collage of photographs to recreate the feel of the colours, cool shadows and sun.

I'm pleased that this painting caught the light, the brightness that is so different from the west coast. The rough and tumble structures rang to the sounds of animals and ranch activity. The small open structure in the centre was a saddle shed. The heat, dryness and winds have done their work.

The scale of the landscape challenged me as an artist. The distant mountains could be almost 2000' feet higher than my location. One highlight of the trip was a somewhat hair raising drive in an open vehicle up the valley center right and onto the open chaparrel above. Extraordinary rock formations and deep canyons had the cameras clicking. I could paint and paint and paint from this inspiration.