Abandoned Structure at Hot Springs

plein air watercolor (Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor on 140# Arches cold press paper)

Done during the 2022 Rattlesnake Gang trek to Big Bend National Park, this abandoned structure near the Hot Springs parking area has always interested me. This was a very warm afternoon, and I managed to find some shade under a group of mesquite trees (the shade was actually a pretty good distance from the structure, so I sketched the steep angle looking up at the structure quickly and then retreated to the shade to complete the painting) . The sun was high, and most of the visible part of the structure was in the shade. I liked the way that the light reflected off the edges of the shaded structure, and the coarseness of the landscape seemed aptly highlighted.