Georgia O'Keeffe Country

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

I tried to paint another still life and finally after wiping it off two times and hours avoiding my studio, I finally gave up and did what I like the best, painting from my photos of places I have visited. I felt like a failure as an artist for not struggling through this particular painting. I finally came to the conclusion that I didn't need to be painting what didn't make me happy.
This painting made me happy. I love the New Mexico landscape for its colors, textures, and dramatic shapes. When I began painting this morning, I was eager to paint and I had a smile on my face. Is that not what its all about?

Four Bottles & a Pair of Legs

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

I decided to leave my comfort zone on this one. I usually work from photographs because to me it is easier to paint two dimensional from two dimensional. I find painting from real life makes me more observant and selective. I feel as though I am painting from emotion rather than just copying what I see. I like the way this painting came out. Today I am going to try it again. I am off to find something interesting in the house to paint. I will post the results tomorrow. See Ya!

Chimayo Cafe

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

In the small town of Chimayo, New Mexico, on the High Road to Taos(Hwy 76) you will find one of the most photographed and painted churches in New Mexico. It is the Santuario de Chimayo known for its "Holy Dirt". Inside you will find a small room with a pit in the floor. Every year thousands of people make a pilgrimage to the church to take away a bit of the sacred dirt. What struck me, were the small family businesses that have sprung up around the church trying to make a living off of the tourists coming to see the church. You can buy pens, refrigerator magnets, and candles with an image of the church printed on them. A visitor can also sit across from the church and sip on a cold drink. Does this marketing take away from the miraculous healing power found in the church?
My painting is of the front entrance to one of the cafes. The deep red of chile ristra looks great next to this southwest blue color.

Tucked Away

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$100 (email me if interested)

After struggling for weeks on my larger painting, it felt so good to do a smaller painting and actually finish it “alla prima”. What I like the most about painting small is making single brushstrokes to bring out details. My favorite part of this painting is the reflection of the pots in the window. Do you see it? One small drag of the brush and WAH LA a reflection! This is a small courtyard tucked away behind an art gallery on Canyon Road.

Along Canyon Road

24x36 oil on cotton stretched canvas
$550 plus shipping (email me if interested)

It’s been awhile, I am so glad to be back. I have really missed looking and commenting on everyone else’s beautiful work. Even though I haven’t been posting, I am still painting. I started this 24x36 oil painting before the holidays and after the holidays I was determined to finish it before I started something new. This was a huge challenge for me considering I work really slow and I have never done a painting this large with so many aspects to work out.
When I walked up on this wall and fence along Canyon Road in Santa Fe I was caught up in all the shadow play along the pink adobe wall. With the contrast of the pink wall and the aqua fence I immediately saw a painting in my head. Now that I am finished with it, I am happy to say I started a smaller painting today. It was so nice to see today’s painting develop so fast. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I know I did.