Red Cloud Buttes - Colored Pencil Drawing

"Red Cloud Buttes" Colored Pencil

Rising out of Nebraska’s northwest corner, Red Cloud Buttes is a noble promontory bordering the desolate northern plains. The rugged pine ridge is named after the legendary, Lakota chieftain - Red Cloud.


The string of bluffs overlooks the White River Valley and historic Fort Robinson, an old military post that featured prominently in the annals of the “Wild West”. Today, the remote wilderness is known for its extreme solitude.


Native Americans still revere this sacred rampart and during a sunrise trek, its interior is imbued with an arcane spirituality. The mystical experience is enhanced by birdsong, bison and extraordinary light.


A central theme is the profusion of big-blue sagebrush that’s scattered across the burnt-orange grassland. The landscape’s natural color scheme is expressed with a startling combination of complementary colors.


A brief shower of summer rain has just passed so the breaking clouds filter the soft morning light. Viewed through a translucent veil of moist atmosphere, pastel hues are the undeniable palette of choice.


On the upslope, an evergreen forest skirts the base of the steep, mauve-colored cliffs. Laced with limber trees, the severed mesa is carved into thick slices of staggered rock that recede into the vast expanse.


Instead of chaos, the buttes appear to be arranged in artistic order. The distinct profile of the sheer face is defined by deep shadows that create a sharp contrast, echoing the divergent values found in the foreground.


The murky daybreak has burned off and the bulbous clouds have begun to disperse, fading into the azure sky. The sun is out and the wind is still so it looks like it’s going to be another warm, late-summer day in western Nebraska.

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