I painted this last week, when we drove out to the Oregon Badlands. They should be renamed, the Oregon Goodlands. A beautiful gorge with Eagle nests (and thus closed most of the year). After hiking, we drove south a few miles, and I was taken by the beautiful desert landscape. So luckily I had packed my minimal plein air materials. (Thank you Ken Auster for convincing me to only carry 3 colors plus black and white.) My patient husband snoozed, and my dog did the same while I blocked in the scene...and completed the painting, all except the hilights. Those I added in the studio, yesterday, prior to actually going out and painting on our own property. Brrrrrrr.