by Kerri Menchaca Weekends have always been about road trips for me . As often as possible I spend my weekends traveling across the state of Texas , regardless of the number of hours spent in the car . On my ten-plus-hour drives to Big Bend National Park I still find different routes to take and dozens of state and local parks to stop and explore . While in the parks I enjoy hiking , sketching , and taking source photographs for future paintings . You don ’ t need an itinerary or specific plan because as long as you ’ re in Texas you ’ ll be in for a show when the sun begins to set and the sky is painted with the most lusciously vibrant colors imaginable .

In nature , light changes and clouds morph into new shapes and eventually disappear . As a contemporary realist painter , I try to capture a moment in time and place with the intention of sharing my sense of awe for nature ’ s beauty . Combining an emphasis on color and details are what brings a painting to life for me . I use the intensity of color in oil paints to create mood and I strive to draw every thorn on a plant to show how

Conversations with Scorpions

Gather and Guard