Original painting. Born of the Desert. Work in progress.

The finished painting.

For those interested in process, this image — Born of the Desert — reveals the backstory and development of such a painting. It started with the idea of a donkey being part of the desert, connected to it throughout history. The desert is the native home for our longear friends. So I decided to put down the warm colours as the background, letting the globs of paint do what they wanted to do. I then added salt, to give it texture, a sandy feel. I am purposely working the donkeys into the background layers, letting thick blobs of paint remain as their forelocks. And letting the vibrant colour run through them, as part of their souls. My wish is for the jenny donkey and her foal to rise from the desert, for it to be part of their existence. Those of us who own donkeys know the challenges of providing proper care for them in areas that are not arid and warm. They can become obese, and develop skin and hoof problems. But with good care and attention, they can thrive, as the adaptable creatures they have been throughout time. Enjoy!