Newcomers to the Sonoran Desert often lament that there is no season change, that the only difference is a cooler night in the winter. But, if you have lived and loved this desert as much as I have, the subtle changes are monumental. The white intense light of summer is replaced with a softer grayer hue. The lower arc of the sun casts shadows of purple, revealing the land in a whole new profile. The winter rains bring into bloom the yellows, whites and lavenders of the desert flowers. And a soft, vivid green blanket of grass covers the desert floor.

Winter in the desert fills me with emotion and renews my vision. The changing light influences the color palette that leaves my brush. I build a story around this season and the result I present in my work. Tell me what you think. Do you feel the light in this desert’s winter?