I went out on that trail with the tablet I did this art on with the intent of going on that trail and doing art on the very same tablet. That counts as victory. I did this art on the trail. I did it on my new tablet. Boom.
Back at Camp Lockett recuperating from a forestalled heart incident, I yet had the energy to walk down the road to the east of the place, past the camping area and into another set of pastures. Those washed ochers and lichen greens are the themes of the grasses, and that combination extends for hundreds of miles all around there. I made a friend of their dullness and took lessons in patience.
In this scene, there are odd inversions.
Normally, as one looks into the distance, things get lighter and the contrasts lessen. The brightest whites will not be as bright as the bright whites in the foreground. The darkest darks in the background be lighter than those in the foreground. Normally, that is. “Atmospheric perspective” I believe it is called in most schools these days. This describes most times outside in bright light.
But then you have lighting conditions such as this wherein the sun is shining bright through clear air on distant hills while deep clouds cast dark shadows behind that, to my eyes, this is like a knife cut across the horizon. Back becomes front and front becomes back. It is a startling abstract expressionist inversion. Yet it is total realism.
Or is it?
This method is labor intensive. It took me five full work periods to do. Plus maybe another.
But all that aside, the knife cut across the scene here is the border wall. It is like that abstract art slash WRONG in the world. The dark hills behind it are Mexico. Open the image in a new tab. Blow it up to check it out.
[edit: I have revised this image very slightly. Mainly in the details on the right side where I somehow forgot to fill in that rusty iron wall color. I added a few bright leaves too.]