Pastel on paper, 15″ x 18″, PBS auction donation, private collection.

This piece was completed en plein air (French, generally meaning “out in the open air”) while visiting Arches National Park while on my honeymoon. My husband, Danny, an avid hiker, made a loop on one of the trails while I painted.  We had arrived early in the morning so shadows were strong and the face of the arch formation glowed in the early sunshine.