#sunset

Even though I have a whole table full of ideas, I wasn’t sure what to paint for Day 21. I decided to go with this uplifting Phoenix Sunset that brought back memories of a wonderful trip to Arizona, with its spectacular outdoor beauty.

The inspiration came from a visit to the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden to see the Dale Chihuly Exhibit with the family in 2009. Chihuly did a masterful job of integrating his glass sculptures into the desert environment, livening up the rugged terrain with splashes of vibrant color.

Jay and I had a mini-reunion with his two sisters, Leslie Dolin from Portland, Oregon (middle), and Pam Kanter, from Kansas City, Missouri (right). Look a little closer and you can see 3 Chihuily lime green glass cactus sculptures in the background.

Here’s the whole group with spouses (well, almost the whole group since I’m the photographer), starting on the left, with Leslie, Bill Kanter, Jay, Pam, and Leigh Dolin. With everyone in the family so geographically scattered, it’s always special when we get together.

We stayed until sunset when the cacti were silhouetted against the expansive Western sky. Late last night I started the painting and this is what greeted me in the morning.

As I put worked on capturing more of the drama of the sky and adding details of the brush on the ground, I felt like I was reliving my vacation. What a nice way to spend Day 21 of the Challenge!

Now I’m re-thinking my plan for tomorrow. See you then.