ARIZONA LANDSCAPES

Władysław Brzosko wintered in Arizona during 1985-1988 where he produced about 40 pastel drawings and watercolors and three oil paintings. The drawings represent views in North Phoenix at Buffalo Ridge, a series of undeveloped low hills dotted with creosote and saguaros, which in 2001 were transformed into a family park and golf course. In 1988 he rented a cabin at Bumblebee Ranch, an old gold mining area in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains, where he painted many watercolor and oil landscapes. After realizing that the climate in Arizona was far different than that in New York City, Brzosko experimented with numerous techniques to keep his watercolor brushes wet until he could lay down the color on the paper. His primary solution became a mixture of water and honey.