Valley of the Sphinxes

Cosmic nebula-like skies above the stone sphinxes at the mountain Suvlu Qaya (Qala Ast or Qala Bayr) above the rk Suv River Valley in the city of Bakhchysarai (Crimea, Russia). Each of the six limestone rock formations of the Eocene cuesta has a name (left-to-right): Suyru-Kaya (syr qaya — “pinnacled rock”), Choyun-Kaya (oyun qaya — “cast-iron rock”), Yuklu-Kaya (ykl qaya — “pregnant rock”), Sandyk-Kaya (sandq qaya –“chest-of-drawers rock”), and Shapke-Kaya (apke qaya — “hat rock”).

Materials: acrylics, tempera, ink, colored pencils on canvas, 50x60 cm.