Desert Daydreaming

With Old Man Winter creeping upon us here in New England, Sue McNally’s Cholla, New Mexico seems more appealing than ever! This painting is a desert at dusk, and you can feel the heat radiating off it just by looking at it. The vibrant, warm colors she uses to depict the setting sun give a sense of serenity, as if you’re standing right there in the still, arid climate. Almost the same feeling you get when standing in or watching snowfall – though the snow falls around you, with everyone tucked away inside the Earth stands still. Although the next morning can cause chaos, whereas, I’d imagine, the desert is rather uneventful. Regardless, with colors like that spreading so far, this scenery is still enticing.

After taking a few visits to FAM and enjoying the splendor of this masterpiece, I finally noticed the faded mountain in the distance of Cholla, New Mexico. Noticing it made me realize how far the landscape really stretches. It has the same visual effect snow does when everything is buried underneath it – as if there are no edges of the planet, and it stretches on forever into the horizon. This thought becomes intimidating, both good and bad. I tremble when I think about how small I am, yet I become giddy knowing that there is so much more than what is in front of me. It helps that in reality the art is contained on the canvas and doesn’t really stretch farther than the eye can see, but the way the painter tells the story through her paintbrush I am confident the land stretches on, giving a sense of freedom.

In my young life, I have never been to the desert before. It has only been a passing thought and desire, but after viewing her painting, the yearning is more prominent than ever. How I would love to be placed in the reality of the painting to escape the harsh New England winters. A change of scenery would certainly be nice.