Chisos Horizon is a 9 by 12-inch watercolor and gouache painting that shows a desert landscape at sunset. The sky shifts from warm oranges and yellows near the horizon to cooler purples and blues above. This gradient captures the fading light of the day with clarity and calm.

In the foreground, agave and ocotillo plants stand sharply defined. Their green leaves and spiny forms contrast with the softer hues of the rolling hills behind them. A dark, solid mesa anchors the right side, adding structure and weight to the scene.

This work is based on a photograph of the Big Bend region taken in December 2024 by Richard Zewe. The Chisos Mountains where this scene takes place mark a unique ecological meeting point between desert and woodland. Agave and ocotillo are key species in this landscape, each with distinctive adaptations and deep cultural histories.

Agave, known as the century plant, grows slowly for decades before sending up a tall flower stalk, then dying. Its bloom supports pollinators such as the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat. Indigenous peoples have long harvested agave for food, drink, and fiber, reflecting a centuries-old relationship between people and plant.

Ocotillo sheds leaves during drought and quickly resprouts after rain. Its bright red flowers feed hummingbirds and bees. Unlike cacti, it belongs to a separate plant family and thrives through resilience and rapid response to water availability.

Combining watercolor’s luminosity with gouache’s opacity, I aimed to express both light and texture in this borderland environment. The painting reflects the layered complexity of climate, geography, and human interaction that shape this place.

Chisos Horizon is part of my Texas Landscapes Series. It invites viewers to consider the quiet persistence and vitality of the desert at dusk, where natural cycles and history converge beneath a shifting sky.