The painted part is sure stream of consciousness, but once I had that, the beading had to be well planned. What did I really want to say? Do the figure look like dead trees in a dull haze? Or are they women moving back and forth. But to - and from - where? The undulating (dried or discolored) stream parallels their path. Are they fetching water for their children? Is that citrine sun going to evaporate all the water on this world?

So I beaded a dark purple river under a pale hot sun. A pale sun? Yes, masked by the haze of particles in the sky. But there's hope in the figures, be they women or trees.