The Great Sand Dunes is a wonderful place to explore, but to sketch there, as I have discovered over the years, you have to be ready to take in the enormity of the landscape. 

My first drawings here were in the early 80’s, when I used to explore while on my way driving from Los Alamos to Boulder. My early experiments were done in pen-and-ink, and I struggled to capture the expansive feeling I got there. (I tried, but the drawings didn’t work out as finished pieces, though they served as medititations).  Fast forward to almost 40 years later: I planned a visit to the dunes once again, and brought with me a very different setup: a large board about 50″ length, and toned paper that I could affix to the board. 

I found a source of toned paper in large rolls, enabling me to cut exactly the sizes I needed; and I had clamps at the ready. One morning I got up early and headed out to a spot where the morning light cast shadows on the dunes, and spent several hours working on the perspective and light from that location.