“I have lived in Oregon all my life, but rarely gone east of the Cascades, unless just driving through. Three quarters of the state is east of the Cascades, but probably 99% of the population lives west of the Cascades. There is a vast part of the state that is gloriously open. It’s high desert - cold in the winter and hot in the summer and very dry. But the views and geological formations are stunning. During COVID pandemic my husband and I made a bunch of trips to Eastern Oregon for recreation and painting and I’ve been obsessed ever since. This painting was made at Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. I spent a peaceful afternoon in May 2020 painting and listening to podcasts while my husband went fishing. Of particular delight were the various alto and strato cumulus undulatus clouds that would come and go.” - Sarah