Sea of Cortez-My viewpoint from the Canadian Rockies

It's been two weeks since we have been back in the Rockies from our trip to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez. It has been raining on and off the past few days.....there is new snow on the upper slopes this morning. I am happy to see the moisture as it has been very dry the past few months.
As I look around the town I live in it is interesting how a lot of the buildings/structures fit in with the environment. Living in a National Park it is key that there is a symbiotic relationship between those that live here and the surrounding landscape. I found that the same in Loreto. The colours/hues of the resort we stayed at blended in with the surrounding parched hills and mountains. The striking contrast was the Sea of Cortez itself......bright splashes of blues and greens.
This painting was created after a walk in the surrounding hillsides after a soft desert rain.

Sea of Cortez-Ipad

On a recent trip to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez I made a point of trying to paint or sketch everyday. Sounds like an easy task but the days were filled with paddle boarding, kayaking, walking in the surrounding hills or just hanging with the family. I usually travel with my Ipad, and with a program called Sketchbook Pro and a stylus pen have created some sketches. It's a different medium that takes some experimentation to see how the different brushers and colors work, but its very easy to sit down and create a sketch in a very short time.
Sea of Cortez-Ipad was created on the deck of our condo with a warm sea breeze dancing in the air.

Isla Danzante-Sea of Cortez

The family and I spent the last week in Loreto, Mexico, halfway down the Baja peninsula on the Sea of Cortez. It was a magical week of kayaking, stand up paddling, hiking amongst the cacti, watching dolphins do their acrobatics, scorching hot days followed by nights with the stars dancing across the sky. Tasty guacamole, salsa, enchiladas were our staples, washed down with icy margaritas. I spent everyday thinking about the world we live in, meditating, painting and most important time with my family.
We are home now, spring is in the air and our bikes are calling us to ride.
Isla Danzante was painted on our second day in Mexico