Poppies

Ok, enough with the desert pictures. This picture is a standard, decorative, flowers in a vase. 'Flowers in a Vase' is almost a requirement for an artist's collection. It's very cliche. I made it to match a beautiful cherry wood frame I'd bought. I studied Van Gogh's poppies and used real pictures of dandelions from a gardening magazine which denounced them as weeds. They looked so bright I thought they deserved a little more status than weeds. By using real images, instead of just colors, that makes this one more of a collage than a tear art. It's nothing too deep, just nice to look at. It is about 24 in x 18 in. Prints available there in half sizes starting December 23, 2005. Prints in all sizes available here. Copyright, Abby Evans 2005

Desert Moon

This summer I took a trip to the Grand Canyon with my extended family and roommate. After hiking several miles through the desert and driving a few hundred miles, we found ourselves in Kayenta, AZ without a hotel; everything was booked. So, we found a phone book and called every hotel within 100 miles. Finally, we found an opening in Mexican Hat, UT. Between the two desert towns is Monument Valley. I was hoping we would go through there the next morning so I could get some photos and see it better in the daylight. But, we were all hot, sticky, and dirty, ready for a shower and soft bed. After sleeping on rocks and hammocks at the bottom of a crack in the earth, it was time for more civilized accomodations. The lady running the San Juan River Inn in Mexican Hat offered us her cottage, and we set off across the desolate highway. It sounded like the beginning of a murder mystery. My dad recently bought a truck with XM radio. Now he's into this station called "Visions" which is like Enya mixed with no beat techno. It was creepy. While the sun was setting the shadows and colors deepened, they blended into what looked like a Mars landing. The music Dad insisted on listening to made the atmosphere perfect for an alien abduction! The moon that night looked three times it's usual size and it reflected off the northern angles of the buttes and bluffs. When we finally got to the only hotel room available in the South West, I sat down by the San Juan River, waiting for the shower to become available, looking at the moon and thinking about the strange evening driving across a distant planet south of 'Bland'ing. I hope this piece reflects the mood and foreign surroundings of that night. It is 15 in x 15 in. Prints are available. Copyright, Abby Evans 2005

Cactus

Today I thought I would branch out and post a sketching. If you remember the Desert Flowers post, this is an outline of the cactus in the foreground. These ideas look a lot better with paper pasted on them.

Highway

This is the second Highway I've done. The first was purchased by a friend before I had it scanned. I liked the concept so much, I did it again with differences. I love road trips and I hope this reflects that great feeling of having somewhere exciting to go. The bluffs to the right remind me of the Vermillion Cliffs in Southern Utah. This piece is about 22 in x 28 in and the original has been framed. It took about 27 hours over Christmas break 2004. Original and prints are available. Copyright, Abby Evans 2004

Desert Flowers

This piece is fairly recent. It's the combination of three ideas. One, the butte, found near Blanding, Utah. Two, the flowering cactus found in the hills above Kennecot. Three, the open valley on the right from the West Desert, near the Salt Flats. The first printing was donated to SLCC for a fundraiser and silent auction. The sale went really well and I am excited for the college. The original is still available, as are prints. Copyright, Abby Evans 2005