Spirit of Desert Water

This image is an update to my pastel painting, "Spirit of the Desert." Most of my oils tend to be pretty realistic and grounded while my pastels are more fantastic and mystical. (There are exceptions to both rules, FYI.)

Someone asked me why that was, and as I didn't know, I opted to try to capture this spirit, Desert Water, in oil rather than pastel. She came out more colorful and intense than the Spirit of the Desert, which surprised me. But then, artists know that the best paintings are the ones that hang a left from the artist's careful planning to ultimately find their own way. Spirit of Desert Water definitely found its own path.