Monument Valley

Watercolor print of Monument Valley, a red-sand desert landscape of rock formations and sandstone towers on the Arizona-Utah border. Rhiannon Klee's notes: I often think about paintings in layers. There are stages where the paper shines through (to create a moon, perhaps) and layers where the pigment lays thick and velvety. It is a constant play of adjustment. Careful yet intentional. Sometimes a tiny speck of color and sometimes a bold dark brushstroke. Towers such as these in Monument Valley have been through 50 million years of erosional activity. We only see an infinitesimal glimpse of what they have been on their journey. This desert was once a shallow blue sea, rich with marine life. It certainly offers perspective. Photos: Drew Smith