This landscape painter has just come back from a quick trip to the desert and I gotta say, it's in bloom! I really look forward to going out to Anza-Borrego to check out the year's crop of desert wildflowers.

From December on, which is the beginning of our rainy season, I watch the weather report like others might follow a sports team. Did it rain hard in the mountains? Did the rain make it over the mountains to the desert? How much fell there? Are the days between rains hot enough  - but not too hot - so as bring out the flowers big-time? Have the blooms started yet? What's blooming right now?

This year's bloom is pretty good and worth the trip for sure. But last year's bloom was just a bit bigger. What's missing are the desert sand verbena, that purple ground cover. Don't know why they're not out but they sure are in shorted supply.

If you go, stay overnight because the desert sunrise is well worth it! I'll just have to paint that!!

Studio paintings of the desert will have to wait for a stretch because my attention is still all wet... continue to work on the ocean and sunset series. Here's the latest off my easel.

"Waves and Rocks", 16 by 20 inches, oil on canvas.