High Desert Cloudy Day, 2026 by Ray Patrick — original oil painting — 2026.017.013

Subject

Cumulus crossing a desert valley on an overcast afternoon, with a long blue range behind and dark scrub flats in front.

Composition

Divided roughly in thirds — sky, mountains, foreground — with the horizon low and level. The clouds run in two ranks, the upper one cropped by the top edge, which pushes the weather forward over the viewer.

Palette

Cerulean and steel blue in the sky, white in the cloud. The range is violet-blue; the flats below are a very dark green-black with a thin strip of warm ochre where the light catches the valley floor.

Handling

The clouds are the most worked part of the picture — thick curved strokes with the brush turning on itself, standing proud of the surface. The foreground is laid in flat, dark and almost featureless by contrast.

Medium and support

Oil on board. Strong impasto in the clouds against thin, dragged paint in the land. The board's edges are painted white.

Signature

No signature visible within the painted area.