Beauty is Within the Eyes of the Beholder

Deserts and Others Scenes
Articles and Painting by Janeal Mulaney




As we walked over the hard cracked ground we saw a snake laying in the shade of a small rock. The desert was sparse of vegetation, but in the shade of the great mesas there lived signs of green in the sagebrush. We saw a few cacti’s with small dainty flowers in various colors blooming against all odds. Some people do not see the beauty, which lay throughout this dry austere land. I do see vivacious beauty, the color shades throughout the lays of landscape from golden rod, to rustic red, to deep rich brown. They all layer the mesas that stand around me. No this was not Sahara, or Saudi Arabia desert; these are the deserts of the plains in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Some of the mesas here were formed out from old volcanoes, while other mesas were formed from earthquakes as well as God’s loving hands.

A small tree will grow here or there, a surprise to anyone who takes time to walk upon the crusted land. Although soup weeds and cactus make up the major plant growth in these water-starved areas, there is life among the dried and crusted floor. Small scurrying animals run to hide, as my footsteps grow nearer.

As a painter I hope to bring this colorful life I see in my mind’s eye to you, as well as the beauty hidden within its barren wastelands. Maybe my mind only sees a mirage, but whatever the reason, my hand paints a tree, or a colorful bush. A lake maybe nestled with in the shadows of a hill. In the end, it is on my canvas, and something I love sharing with the world.