Sossusvlei

February 25, 2010, 24"x30" acrylic on stretched canvas (Sold)

This was done as a commission for my boss (also a good friend, but don't tell him). He took the beautiful picture on a trip to Africa. The location is called Sossusvlei, a clay pan in the central Namib Desert, lying within the Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia (according to Wikipedia). It's known for the high, red sand dunes which surround it forming a major sand sea. The trees in the foreground are dead acacia trees, believed to be 900 years old.

The sky is cobalt blue and titanium white. The red sand dunes started as burnt sienna and titanium white. I then added accents of olive green (pthalo blue, yellow ochre and titanium white) and pure burnt sienna. The sand is titanium white, a touch of raw umber and the olive green. The trees are just a mix of all the colors above.

I was surprised by how much I like it and my boss is happy too.