mitchel.pigsley

Lull of Atalaya, 2023

original final

I grabbed a reference photo while climbing Atalaya Mountain in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The swelteringly hot day created this semi-shaded canopy that beckoned you along the trail.

I wanted to focus on the complementary relationship between the cool blues of the shadows cast by the trees and the yellowing rock illuminated by the sun. The green of the trees helps create a connection between the two. I experimented with loose but controlled brushstrokes and striking a balance between abstraction and realism.

March 22, 2023