Desert Dreams: A Love Letter to Sand, Sun, and the Wild Unknown
There’s something magical about deserts that has always captivated me. They are, without question, my favourite landscape on Earth.
Maybe it’s the rich, sun-baked colours. Maybe it’s the vast, bare openness — wild, empty, and unapologetically extreme. Or maybe, deep down, I’m just a lizard at heart. The dry heat, the lack of humidity (goodbye sticky tropical air and frizzy hair!), and that endless, golden glow — it all makes me feel completely alive.
My love affair with the desert began on my 23rd birthday, spent in Nevada’s Mojave desert. One day in that dry heat and I was hooked. It felt like coming home.
Since then, I’ve chased the desert across the world — through red sands, ochre forts, rattlesnake roads and cactus-studded trails.
Australia: Dust, Danger, and the Red Centre
The Australian Outback is where the desert gets serious. Arid red roads stretch on forever, heat radiates off the land in shimmering waves, and danger seems to lurk at every corner. One wrong turn and you might not see another soul for days.
I camped here as a teenager, watching the sun set over Uluru and hiking the King’s Canyon. Camping here is no joke. Finding a redback spider in your tent? A rite of passage. Spotting a brown snake basking in the road? Just another Tuesday.
The Great Australian Desert is the 5th largest in the world, home to awe-inspiring landmarks and some of the most unique wildlife and stark beauty I’ve ever seen.
The Middle East: A Sense of Déjà Vu
The first time I stepped into the Arabian Desert, it felt eerily familiar — like I’d been there before. Wandering the souks, scented with spices and layered with jewel-toned fabrics, I half expected to round a corner and run into a past version of myself.
The old-world charm, the twisting bazaars, the warm ochres and golden sands — there’s a powerful sense of nostalgia here. It felt like walking through a memory I hadn’t made yet.
India’s Thar Desert: Castles in the Sand
India’s Thar Desert, the Great Indian Desert, is nothing short of majestic. Rippled dunes stretch across Rajasthan, surrounding vibrant cities painted pink, gold, and blue.
I spent weeks here, exploring ancient forts and vibrant street life. One of the highlights was staying inside Jaisalmer Fort — an 800-year-old living fort, still home to families and businesses, perched like a sandcastle on the edge of the desert. It’s a labyrinth of archways, carvings, and centuries-old stories. I could’ve spent months just sketching the textures.
Arizona: Living the Western Dream
If Australia was intense and India was majestic, then Arizona was the wild, cinematic dream. I’ve longed to visit since forever — those towering red rock cathedrals, cacti standing like sentinels, and dusty trails begging for boots and stories.
In 2024, we finally road-tripped through the heart of the state: Phoenix, Sedona, the Grand Canyon. And it was everything I imagined and more.
We hiked, we drove, we stood on cliff edges and took in sweeping views that felt straight out of a Western movie. Epic doesn’t begin to cover it.
Modern Desert Cities: Mirage Meets Monument
Of course, not all deserts are wild and remote. Some now host the most extravagant displays of wealth and architecture — think Las Vegas, Dubai, Doha. Cities built on sand, where fountains flow in the middle of the desert, and mirrored towers rise out of dunes like mirages made real.
It’s surreal. Strange. A little dystopian. But also… fascinating.
Dune, Deserts & a New Artistic Chapter
Watching Dune reignited my obsession. The movie’s sweeping sandscapes, filmed in Jordan and the UAE, were so immersive I could almost feel the grit between my teeth and the wind blasting my eyeballs. The discomfort is part of the attraction — harsh, dry beauty that won’t let you look away.
That inspiration spilled out in paint. I created an entire series of paintings based on the film — letting the vastness, the colour, the quiet danger seep into my work.
Joshua Tree: Drawing in the Dust
During our US road trip, we also spent time in Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave Desert. It’s like a playground carved by wind and time. While my kids explored the jumbo rocks and cactus-lined trails, I sat and sketched — the quirky Joshua trees, the sharp geometry of the cacti, the giant boulders shaped like forgotten gods.
There’s something meditative about it. Drawing in the heat. Feeling the stillness. Letting the land guide your hand.
Route 66: America’s Legendary Desert Highway
Historic Route 66 — often called The Mother Road — is one of the most legendary highways in the world. Route 66 cuts through sun-scorched desert landscapes, flanked by dusty motels, weather-worn neon signs, rusty vintage gas pumps, and abandoned diners that whisper stories of a bygone era.
These desert stretches are hauntingly beautiful — long, straight roads with nothing but cacti, tumbleweeds, and jagged red rock formations for company. The air is dry, the heat relentless, and the sense of freedom palpable. There’s something cinematic about these desert roads. The sunsets. The feeling of absolute freedom. I loved cruising the wild open road into the heart of American mythology.
What’s Next: A New Desert Series
All of these deserts — and the memories held within them — are calling to me again.
I’m now working on a brand new Desert Series of paintings and surface patterns. It’s going to be big. Textural. Full of heat and story and wild soul. It may take some time (and likely a few more desert trips), but I can’t wait to share it with you when it’s ready.
Until then, I’ll be over here… dreaming in ochre and burnt sienna, plotting my next dusty escape.
Do you have a favourite desert? Which desert landscapes in the world would you recommend exploring? Let me know in the comments!
All photos copyright ©Abbey Mae