High Desert Subdivision, 2026 by Ray Patrick — original oil painting — 2026.014.010

Subject

An empty lot on the edge of a desert subdivision — a utility pole, a road, scattered creosote, a distant line of rooftops under a tall sky.

Composition

The pole stands just left of centre and runs the full height, the only strong vertical; everything else is horizontal. A single green bush sits forward in the bottom third and holds the foreground, with the road a flat band behind it.

Palette

A deep blue sky with white and pale blue cloud over two thirds of the panel. Below: orange sand, emerald scrub, a thin violet line of far hills.

Handling

The sky is worked in short curved strokes that keep turning, so the cloud has no drawn edge anywhere. The pole is one dark stroke with its crossbars added; the wires are scratched in thin and dry over finished paint.

Medium and support

Oil on board. Thickly painted, with impasto in the clouds and ridges that catch the light. The board's edges are painted white.

Signature

No signature visible within the painted area.