This is the first in a series that will feature the beauty and history of the Salton Sea in the California Desert. My parents spent time there when they were young, and brought me with them when I was just a baby.

The sea was formed when the ancient salt basin was accidentally flooded because the Colorado River breached a canal wall. Though the basin has always been a flood way, and has been full or empty off an on for hundreds of years, the sediment that built up at the Sea of Cortez created a natural levee trapping the water when the area flooded. The early 1900s canal breach resulted in the permanent sea.

Currently, efforts are underway to revitalize the sea, as allowing it to go back to its natural state after all these years may create health hazards for the large communities which now lie all around it.

My painting series is meant to capture its beauty and play some role in inspiring hope to bring it back to what my parents, and others remember.