Southwest Zephyr

18 x 24, mixed media on panel.

I submitted this at the same time as Castle Elsewhere because they use basically the same technique. The sky was put in quickly in acrylics, fading toward the horizon. Then the landscape and figures were painted in oils, using an alkyd medium. This one just shows more time and effort.

I wasn't going for strict realism so much as a combination of certain southwest-art looks and elements, inter-woven with traditional southwest pictorial elements, all mashed together in my own way, in a composition that makes allusions of its own. Now if I managed to make it kinda pretty despite all that, then thank goodness.

The background is an interpretation of an area I used to wander in Northwest New Mexico. The blankets are based on Indian blankets, and were fun to paint.

I have a transparency of this around here somewhere, and when I drag it out, I'll upload a nicer scan.