Desert Series #1 - Goldfields and Poppies

Goldfields and Poppies

9 x 12 soft pastels on Art Spectrum Colourfix

Miki Willa

Goldfields are very small yellow-gold wildflowers that reflect brilliantly against the brilliant oranges of the California Poppies. There are also Lupin in several shades of purple. This scene is looking north as the North Loop Trail becomes the South Loop Trail in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

When I decided to do this series, I realized that I wanted to share my impressions of all the wonderful colors as well as the terrain. In this one, I included the path, but in most I won't. The bridge in the lower center is over a wash that is dry most of the year. There is another wooden bridge I will paint later that goes over a spring fed wash. It has a completely different look.

The oranges and yellows in this painting are Terry Ludwig soft pastels. He makes the most brilliant oranges I have tried.

Tomorrow, I will be working on another look at the distant colors from a higher vantage point and a different direction.

Deserts and wildflowers

Sketches from the Antelope Valley

Miki Willa

For the past week, I have been visiting the place of my childhood, the Antelope Valley in Southern California. The valley is very large and surrounded by wonderful mountain peaks which are covered with snow part of the year. The desert floor seem vast and empty at first. That is before you get to know it. The two major cities are Palmdale and Lancaster. If you drive east from Palmdale, you are into the land of Joshua Trees and buttes. This time of year, there are also carpets of wildflowers.

About 15 miles west of Lancaster is the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. I spent two mornings wandering the trails wondering at the intense golds, yellows, ochres, greens, and purples covering the desert floor and the sides of the Antelope Buttes. All of this set off by the clear blue skies.


This last photo shows how big the fields of color are from a distance. The first day, I took the trails that lead across the tops of the buttes. That is where I took this photo. The second morning there, I took a trail that led down into the area shown. The colors are amazing from a distance, but incredible when you are in the middle of them.

I am looking forward to working on my desert wildflower and geography series. Look for them starting tomorrow.