Back to the desert

One day I was out in Telegraph Canyon, near the long abandoned Ajax mine, when I spotted something a curious bright green that didn’t seem to fit the surrounding gravelly terrain. At first I thought someone had lost something as it did not move. Grabbing my binoculars, as it was still quite a distance from myself, I took a closer look. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to discover it was a Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris).  

This fairly large lizard can be up to a foot in length and as I had never seen one in the wild, I didn’t want to scare it off before I could get a photograph or two. I stealthily made my way closer, camera at the ready, until I felt it was now or never. Fortunately, I always carry a large zoom lens for exactly these circumstances.

He still hadn’t moved an inch, allowing me to get several photos, one of which I used to create this watercolor.

Author: Ralph Sellers

First of all, let me borrow a line from the Grateful Dead...what a long strange trip its been. I grew up in Appalachia, not far from Wheeling, West Virginia. I decided at seventeen that working in the coal mines was not for me and soon found myself standing at an on-ramp with my thumb out. It was the Sixties and adventure beckoned. I'm a self taught artist, primarily focusing on the natural world. I enjoy painting the flora and fauna of this beautiful planet. I currently live in Arizona, and most of my recent works reflect the inhabitants of the Sonoran desert. View all posts by Ralph Sellers