Desert Vibe Series: An Artist’s Journey Through Bold Colors and Desert Dreams

When it comes to painting with acrylics, brushes have always been my nemesis. It’s almost comical to admit, but I used to feel a wave of anxiety whenever I picked one up—like they were tiny instruments of chaos. Oddly enough, this wasn’t an issue with watercolors, where brushes and I got along just fine. But back in September 2023, something shifted when I painted The Great Protector. For the first time, I leaned into my fear and embraced the brush. The result was unexpectedly stunning and marked a turning point for my style—though I didn’t quite know where it was headed yet.
Over the following months, I searched for a style that felt true to me. Inspired by abstract portrait artists, I dabbled with bold colors and shapes in everything from acrylics to watercolors, markers, and even digital media. Some pieces turned out well, but none quite spoke to my heart. I was close, but the connection wasn’t there yet.
Then came May 2024. I joined Oasis Garden and Gallery in St. George, a space that’s part desert garden, part fine art gallery. The owner requested desert-themed work—landscapes, cacti, that sort of thing. While I had a few smaller watercolor pieces and some digital desert art, I wanted something bold and fresh. That’s when Desert Vibe came to life, setting the tone for what’s now an ongoing series by the same name.

A Happy Accident: The Birth of Desert Vibe

The vision for Desert Vibe was crystal clear in my mind: retro-style pop art with a bold sun, alternating rays, a single saguaro cactus, and simple sandy soil. On canvas, though? Not so much. After multiple failed attempts to capture that clean, graphic look, I shifted gears. I decided to play with a more fluid, swirly painting style I’d admired in others’ work.

The bold sun stayed—it was the one element I couldn’t part with—but I reworked it until it felt right. From there, the piece began to take shape, almost guiding me. Toward the end, it still felt incomplete. That’s when I decided to add an exaggerated, colorful prickly pear cactus, which turned out to be the missing piece. It was like frosting on a cake, and suddenly, I knew this wasn’t a one-off painting.
This piece is on display at Oasis Garden and Gallery in St George, Utah. Prints are also available.

Majestic Trail and the Evolution of the Series

After finishing Desert Vibe, I was hooked on creating environments for these vibrant little cacti. The next piece, Majestic Trail, came from a desire to dive even deeper into lush desert scenes, with intricate details and bold textures. Joshua trees took center stage alongside prickly pears, and for the first time, I added petroglyphs—a nod to the rich history of the desert.

Initially, I considered adding figures to Majestic Trail, inspired by a request from the owner of Lotus Studio in Kanab. But the painting was already so lively that adding people felt overwhelming. Instead, the piece stood on its own and quickly found a new home. Prints are now available.

Sacred Journey and the Power of Moonlight

With people still on my mind, I created Sacred Journey, a spiritual exploration of figures moving through the desert under moonlight. This piece felt especially magical, as I painted it during a strawberry moon. It echoed an earlier piece of mine, Going Home, and carried a deeply spiritual energy. Like its predecessor, Sacred Journey sold, though prints are available.

 

Solar Fusion and Experimentation

By August, I was ready to shake things up with Solar Fusion, the first horizontal piece in the series. Starting with a bold sun, as usual, I sketched out the landscape only to realize the composition was completely off. This forced me to revise and adapt—a common theme in this series.

The result included a unique take on the saguaro cactus, blending the familiar with a twist. This piece, too, found its forever home.

Last Minute Decision

On a smaller scale, I recently painted First Light for the Southern Utah Art Guild’s, A Gift of Art exhibit. Initially, I wasn’t planning to enter, but a last-minute nudge from a fellow artist got me to rethink my decision to place an piece in the exhibit.

 

What’s Next?

Right now, I’m working on Desert Dweller, a large 36 x 36-inch piece that I hope to finish by year’s end. It’s destined for the In Living Color exhibit at Kayenta Art Village—a chance to showcase the vibrancy of this series come Janruary.
Looking ahead to 2025, I can’t wait to see where the Desert Vibe Series takes me next. This journey has been as unpredictable as it’s been rewarding, with every piece teaching me something new about myself, the desert, and the art of embracing happy accidents.