Painted Desert Sky, 2026 by Ray Patrick — original oil painting — 2026.051.041

Subject

Storm cloud breaking up over a desert ridge at sunset, with the low sun catching the underside of the cloud and the top of the ridge.

Composition

Two thirds sky, and the cloud mass is read as a ceiling — heavy at the top edge, lifting toward the right where blue breaks through. The lit ridge beneath runs the full width as one unbroken orange band.

Palette

Slate and charcoal in the cloud body, with coral and apricot where the light strikes it. The ridge is cadmium orange; below it, olive and khaki with small green uprights.

Handling

The cloud is built from broad loaded strokes laid in several directions, with the lit edges cut in afterwards as separate strokes of unmixed orange. The ridge is one long horizontal pull.

Medium and support

Oil on board. Thick throughout, with visible ridges across the whole sky. The board's edges are painted white.

Signature

No signature visible within the painted area.

From the artist:

There was a ridge behind the house where I lived. When the sun set it came to life, even more so when the sky was filled with clouds. I could imagine the Indians riding across the trail in days of old.