Stone Sentinel

Black Mountain (elevation 3398 feet, 1036 meters) rises a mile (.6km) or so behind some homes in the immediate foreground.  Perhaps nowhere else in the Valley displays such strong contrast between Precambrian metamorphic rocks (on the left) and Precambrian granite (on the right) as well.  The town of Carefree is to the right of the mountain.  The older community of Cave Creek, with its bars, restaurants, and night spots, is behind this peak, on its north side.  Many of the rock formations visible around the Valley of the Sun are very, very old. They date from nearly 2 billion years ago, from what geologists call the Precambrian era. Black Mountain is an icon of the towns of Cave Creek and Carefree. The geology of the two halves of Black Mountain is very different. The Carefree side is mostly granite that has weathered to very large, tan and pink boulders, mostly composed of crystals of feldspar and quartz. The granite solidified from magma deep underground and was exposed by uplift and erosion of Earth's crust. The Cave Creek half is dominated by dark colored phyllite and slate that breaks into slabs. This rock probably started as deep ocean sediments that were metamorphosed by burial and then pushed up while the rocks above them were eroded. What remains is a mountain that rises more than 1000 feet between the two towns. I turned a hike through rocky hills into this watercolor piece—depicting a cluster of pale boulders rising against a shadowed ridge, framed by sunlit grasses. My brushwork pushed for texture in the stones and a looser feel in the vegetation. Which detail draws you in most: the boulder tower, the dark ridge, or the bright foreground? Tell me why — I’m curious which element people connect with first. Also, would you hang this in a living room, study, or hallway? Signed K.F. Moore — I think this one would make a calm anchor on a wall. Signed by KF Moore, this watercolor landscape depicts weathered granite outcrops rising from a sunlit meadow beneath a brooding ridge. Layered washes and delicate penwork reveal fractured rock faces and the contrast between cool shadow and warm foreground greens. The composition balances open sky and textured terrain, conveying calm energy and geological presence. A refined piece that would quietly enhance a living room, study, or office.