Quick! What colors do artists use to depict the beauty of the desert Southwest? Terra cotta, pinks, and purples are among the most common, as seen below.
Here are a few Southwest quilts with purple as the dominant color.

Yet, the landscape is not purple. Perhaps, on a rare occasion, the sunset reflects purple tones, but I have not witnessed a purple sunset, ever. I lived in the Arizona desert — famous for sunsets–for about 11 years and now, many years later, I am exploring in New Mexico. No purple anywhere.

The landscape is not turquoise, either.

Now, I am not complaining. I love the use of turquoise and purple in artworks, especially in abstract expressions. Both turquoise and purple–along with bright yellows– enhance the drama of Southwest landscapes in a way that the actual colors may not. I am just making a note for the record: the real southwest has a different palette:

Georgia O’Keefe exploring colors of the southwest in her abstract paintings:

I hope to make a Colors of Deming, NM quilt and will use these colors as a starting point. No purple or turquoise.

Purple