La Hacienda de Los Martinez corral

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

Visiting this thick adobe walled hacienda gives you a glimpse of what frontier life was like in the early 1800's. The 21 room hacienda opens into a large courtyard. Stables and corrals surround the grounds. I was drawn to the linear fence and the round kiva fireplaces sitting next to each other. I also wanted to capture the golden hues of the earth and the blue sky of New Mexico. For some reason I painted tighter than a did in my past New Mexico paintings.

Apple Orchard

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

I stayed at a wonderful and endearing bed and breakfast in Chimayo, New Mexico. It is called Rancho Manzana. It was originally the family home and merchantile of the Ortega family. Located on the grounds is an apple orchard and an arbor loaded with grapes. The sweet smell of the grapes hit you as soon as you walked under the arbor. The home is connected to other buildings that once was the plaza. It was definitely a nice peaceful place to come back to after a day of sightseeing.

Chimayo Valley

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

After two days in Santa Fe, I took off on what they call the High Road to Taos. This scenic road takes you through Indian pueblos and small villages where artists and craftsmen live and work along side families that have lived there for centuries. The high cost of living in Santa Fe and the beautiful countryside is why the artists have relocated in these quaint small towns. The landscape along Highway 98 takes you through the rolling high desert hills that are spotted with juniper and sand hill formations. Every turn on the road makes you want to stop and take a picture. Chimayo is famous for its apple orchards, weavers, and the ever famous Chimayo chile. I stayed at a wonderful B&B in Chimayo. More about it when I post my painting of their wonderful apple orchard.

Canyon Road Gallery

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested) Sold

While strolling along Canyon Road in Santa Fe looking at all the galleries, this little courtyard caught my eye. I was delighted to see the shadow play on the adobe walls. I'm not sure what kind of tree the dark coral one is, but the yellow aspen and the coral together was so refreshing. To fellow artists: I have trouble signing my paintings. I never know where to put my signature. It seems to always be a distraction on the painting. I need some input on what you consider when signing your paintings. Does color, size, position, etc. come into play.

Taos October

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

No wonder so many artists gravitate towards New Mexico to paint its magnificent landscape. No where else can you find such warm hues of adobe and the rolling high desert hills against such a clear blue sky. If you go in early October, as I did, you will also see the aspens and cottonwoods with vibrant yellow leaves. After spending two days looking at galleries along Canyon Road in Santa Fe,I am really excited to get back to work. This painting is the first in a series I will be doing of the beautiful sights I saw during my stay in New Mexico.Taos October is of the Penitents adobe Morada in Taos.

High Road to Taos

Fall is coming...

I am packing my paints and my clothes for a weeks visit to one of my favorite places for inspiration, New Mexico. My itinerary includes Santa Fe for some gallery visits, Chimayo (hopefully for some plein air) and I also want to drive north of Espanola to see some art studios.
I visit other artists blogs on a daily basis and I am beginning to question what direction my painting is going in. I am hoping with some time off to reflect and be inspired I can find my direction. It seems to me reading and viewing other artists, they all seem to know what they are trying to evoke in their painting. I have just started painting full time less than a year ago and my conscience tells me to give it time but I am not a very patient person. I wasted so much of my life not painting ( I am 53 years old) I want it now.
See you in a week!

The beast, again

6x6 cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

If you have been here before you know we have an old rusted International truck at the side of the house. I wanted to perserve the way it looks now before it gets a new live. This is another angle, you can almost make out the business name on the side of the door.

3 Green Pears

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

I find working with threes always seems to work out in a composition. There are so many possibilities for paintings walking through the produce section of the grocery store. I had to pick up, turn, and look at a lot of pears before I decided on these three. I know the produce guy thought I was nuts. I have been noticing a lot of fall vegetables lately, pumpkins and gourds. I can't wait to paint them.

Oranges & Blueberries

16x20 stretched cotton canvas
$350 (email me if interested)

Here is another larger painting I have done recently. I entered this one and the Taos Truck painting in the New Braunfels Art League Artoberfest. I got my call today they both had been accepted. I am so happy. I am not a very fast painter (that is why having this blog is such a challenge) so after I worked on the oranges for a bit, my flowers had wilted so the shadows had changed from my first layout. I decided to move on to the flowers before they were completely gone, then the orange peel was shrinking. I finally managed to bring it all together.