The Marfa Highlands is a rolling expanse of grassland flanked by distant mountains. Small herds of pronghorn antelope race across the prairie, sometimes dodging prairie dog holes and the occasional few head of cattle that share this high desert landscape.
In this oil painting, I used successive glazes (thin layers of transparent color) to wash both wildlife and land in the color of the sun.
Whenever I paint pronghorns, I’m cognizant of their intimate connection with the vast grasslands of the borderlands. Finding them at rest and almost camouflaged in the rich gold and brown grasses that are the norm most of the year illustrated how much these fit their habitat. This small studio oil whispers of belonging. As for the prairie dog: he repeatedly stretched from his burrow to photo bomb my reference shots of the pronghorn, so I gave him a supporting role in a tale of coexistence. I use only my own photos for reference, so I value cooperative wildlife like these curious critters.
Custom framed in wood to complement the colors of the landscape
- Framed: 17 x 20 x 2 in (43.18 x 50.8 x 5.08 cm)
- Subject Matter: Landscape
- Current Location: Old Spanish Trail Gallery and Museum - 401 Crows Nest Road Ste A PO Box 555, Fort Davis, TX 79734 (google map)
- Collections: Animals, Far West Texas Landscapes, oil landscapes, Wildlife Paintings