Turret Arch, 2025

Turret Arch is located in the Windows Section of Arches National Park near Moab Utah. The arch was formed naturally from wind, water and temperature extreme’s in the region. The Entrada sandstone rock is over 150 million years old, formed in the Jurassic period.

This rock feature gets its name from the tall vertical tower of rocks that resemble the turret on a castle. To the left of the turret is a large opening creating the arch and the striking silhouette agains a cloudy desert sky. The trail follows a stairway that allows visitors to walk through the arch. Hearty desert vegetation is seen in the foreground.

The subject of the painting takes the middle third of the composition and is balanced using classical techniques. The hard lines of the stairs are in stark contrast to the soft organic forms of the rocks and plants. The stairs draw the eye upward through the lighted arch and then anchors the viewer eye to the dark sandstone of the turret. The warm hues of the desert landscape are softened by the cool blue, grey skies in the distance. The painting is reminiscent of the illustrations created in the 1800’s by explorers traveling through the region, namely Thomas Moran and Edward Kern.