1.  This picture always reminds me of the power and beauty of nature.  The way the clouds fold over each other or are being whisked away plus the careful blending of reds, oranges, yellows, and even purples, creates a masterpiece unknown to any brush strokes of man.  In my opinion, nature is the best to turn to for examples of color... true, bold, color.

2.  The picture is a landscape view of a sunset, only found in Kansas.  In the bottom third of the picture or so, a silhouette of Kansas land with a glimpse of the "Kansas Mountains" in the background, fading into the distance.  Not much detail can be seen in this part of the picture, the top two-thirds holds the true beauty.  The sun cannot be seen in this photo as the clouds are thick and cover everything but the color.  They seem as though they are fresh whip cream being spread over a slice of heaven's pie, some sides being heavier and possessing more volume while other parts are more whimsical in appearance.  The colors found caressing the ripples of clouds is that seen only under the careful guidance of the hand of the heavens.  The precise blend of warm tones sets the sky on fire while the subtle hints of the cooler purple calm the soul.

3.  The colors are of course strong and the sharp contrast of the dark silhouetted bottom create a nice balance in the composition.  I like that the elevators/grain bins are off to the side and not directly in the middle.  It creates a more interesting angle to the piece and also helps the viewers eyes to have point of reference to com back to.  I would like the buildings to be even farther over I think, not a ton, but just a little.  I think the use of a landscape view helps to "broaden" the observer's eye movement and shows the vast expanse of Kansas land.

4.  Examining this photo has created a new image in my mind of Kansas.  I now realize that the beauty found here, in images such as sunsets, can only be found here.  Yes, every state has their own sunsets and captions of beauty, but none can match the undisturbed picture of a Kansas sunset.  With that, we live in "riches."

5.  Elizabeth Murray and I have very different views on color harmony.  Her ideas come from a collection of different imaginative images melded together to create a harmonious blend.  Then, she strategically adds the appropriate color combinations to, again, create a harmonious balance within the image.  My picture, on the other hand, takes her balancing and blending and applies it to nature.  Both compositions result in an interesting view for the observer.