Spanish Skirts

During my time in college, I enrolled in a plein-air painting class and eagerly purchased a new sketchpad to explore the world of chalk pastel drawings.  Throughout the first week of class, our focus centered on drawing the iconic “Spanish Skirts” rock formations in Palo Duro Canyon. While drawing, I saw the dry desert landscape transform under the darkness of heavy rain clouds providing me with a front-row seat to witness the transformative effects of rain cascading down the vibrant red and orange rocks.

In this image, I aimed to capture the transition from day to night and depict the contrasting elements of dryness and the intense rain typical of Texas. As the week progressed, my sketchpad became soaked from the heavy rainfall, leaving only a few dry pages. This led me to create a partial watercolor and chalk pastel piece. Embracing this unexpected turn of events, I combined water illustrations with the remnants of my pastel drawing. This blending symbolizes the deluge that engulfed the canyon, highlighting the dynamic relationship between water and the creation of this mixed media project.