Smoke Creek Ranch

Byron McClintock

Smoke Creek Ranch was one of the oldest settlements in the Western United Stated, situated in northeast Nevada near the California border. The name Smoke Creek now refers a stretch of land that follows the Smoke Creek between Honey Lake Valley in Susanville, California, to the Smoke Creek Desert basin, Nevada. The name alternately refers to the "smoke" that rises in winter from the hot springs associated with the area and the dust devils that race along the desert in summer

Here, Byron McClintock uses a firey palette to convey the dry, arid landscape of eastern central California as it melts into its neighboring state. He has borrowed from this landscape before, drawn to the desolate beauty and ever-changing colors of the sky as the seasons transition.