Do you ever wake up with an idea so weird and compelling that you think about it all day? What if the tufa towers of Mono Lake were made of Cheetos?

Mono Lake’s real tufas formed when calcium-rich spring water bubbled up into the lake’s salty, alkaline brine. That was thousands of years ago, back when the waterline was much higher.

My version? A snack-based tribute.

I smeared peanut butter onto a sheet of plexiglass. Filed the bottoms of some Cheetos flat. Stuck them in, one by one, to build my cheesy spires. Behind them, I painted a watercolor backdrop and added a few HO scale figures.

Instant diorama. A few quick photos.

Then I ate it.

Because sometimes, art should be crunchy.

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