Crystal DiPietro

Renewal (Rising From the Ashes), Painting, Oil on Canvas

2014

Artist Comments
On a solo hike, I passed through some beautiful aspen groves. It was early morning and the sunlight was filtering in behind. I noticed a lone, small pine grow...

Artist Comments
Artist Crystal DiPietro shares a spectacular mountain desert view from a camping and hiking trip to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Rendered en plein air, Crystal captured the sierra's golden summit as the sun sets, its rays melting into the west. "The late afternoon light lit up the dramatic peaks with a warm glow."

About the Artist
Many artists work with the landscape, but Crystal DiPietro sees her works as different from most in the genre. "I tend not to see landscapes as soft and pretty, but as rugged, dramatic and colorful." Many of her works depict wild storms and moody sunsets. She spends a lot of time in remote spots and uses layers of color to create her compositions. Her work hovers between a brief impression of a scene and a pure dream. Crystal's landscapes of southern Utah seem to undulate and continuously change. What's interesting, though, is that these mountains and valleys seem to do the same thing in person. In these areas, the view changes constantly throughout the day as the light shifts, throwing shadows of faces, mazes and alien patterns across the cliff faces. Crystal impressively captures what's there, and what seems to be but isn't.

Words that describe this painting: mountains, desert, peaks, sunset, landscape, southwest, west, western, plein air, Mojave, Joshua Tree, shadow, impressionism, oilpaint, impressionism, landscape, western, oil painting, blue

Sunset Glow...