abstract joshua tree landscape

This piece is crazy busy but I do love it.  I made it in an original homestead cabin in Joshua Tree, from photos I took in 100 degree heat earlier in the day.  The only issue is the mulberry paper I used for the collage is so light it adds depth but it's tough to see!  Darnit, I'll have to keep working with this subject matter.

Texture.  I was inspired by the endless landscape of spaced trees that you can see from a slightly elevated vantage point in the park.

Color.  The vibrancy of this natural landscape, despite the heat, was inspiring.  I layered a cropped version of this landscape loosely interpreted with watercolors.

Collage.  I like working with overexposures for these mixed media pieces, because they distill the image well.  It gives me a clear idea of how my composition will work for the collage portion, and I have them printed onto photo paper so that I can trace the original image.  Yes, this is in the piece, but the mulberry paper I used is quite transparent.  So, it adds a nice depth but it's less of a compositional element that I had initially thought.  I still think it perfectly embodies the desert in all its spirit, though.

Do you like this?  It can be yours, here!