Hues of Wonder Valley

I travelled to Wonder Valley, CA for a two week artist retreat. It involved camping in the raw desert and working in a shared open-air shelter. My intention for this retreat was to forage various minerals in the surrounding areas to use for paint and to see what this wild desert landscape could teach me.

Foraged Mineral Rainbow

Wonder Valley Palette

The complete palette is named campfire, pigeon, bloodstone, ember, fox, dune, redwood, toque, goldmine, sage, peppermint, shotgun, pelt and whitewater.

Foraging*

Copper*

With symbols of the experience and textures of the landscape, I remember that this unsterilized, raw earth has lived a life much longer than than ours.

Palette Swatches

Workspace View

Wind Powered ∙ 11” x 14” framed in ash

Drift ∙ 11” x 14” framed in ash ∙ 2019

Iron Mountain ∙ 11” x 11” framed in ash

Bijou ∙ 8” x 8” ∙ 2019

Local Flora

During my time here, I began to see how colorful the desert is. How silence is vibrant.

I channeled the windy atmosphere and free form currents into the paintings.

Pocket Bird ∙ 6” x 10” ∙ 2019

Zephyr ∙ 6” x 10” ∙ 2019

Sketching at The Bird Line

Works in Progress

Exhibition*

Many thanks to Micheal, Jasmine, Elizabeth, Maite and everyone else who made this experience so special and vibrant! The Bird Line will be hosting more resident artists in the future. Follow @thebirdline to keep in the loop on applications and future events in the high desert!

*Photographs taken by Maite Zubeldia