The Exit To San Breta - stage 1

This is a private commission for a buyer that wants a painting centred around the short story by George R.R. Martin called "The Exit To San Breta". A white Ford Edsel is parked in a gas station forecourt somewhere in the vast expanse of the Arizona desert. The gas station and car are illuminated by a few lights in an otherwise fairly dark landscape seen in the dusk, a sign for the San Breta turnoff is at the right of the picture near a small wooden white cross. The road in the right foreground is in poor condition with weeds growing in the cracks of the tarmac but the road becomes pristine in condition as it nears the gas station and highway lights. The composition is based on Thirds with the skyline and placement of the gas station and road sign at intervals of a third from the edges of the painting. The colours will be more subdued than recent paintings based on a blue/green - red/orange complementary colour axis. The San Breta sign is red and will probably be the most saturated part of the picture in terms of colour. The particular mood of the painting will be carried by the sky which I intend to be at a particular time of dusk when there is still daylight in the sky and the landscape isn't too dark.
This stage was "drawn" up with a small bristle brush using a mix of Burnt Sienna and Winsor Violet thinned with Liquin and turpentine.