"NIGHT FLORAL"
"PASTELES"BACK TO WORK
Okay, I'm back to work now. I think I just needed a little breather before I kick into the spring/summer/fall season of shows and exhibitions. I got to take some really nice day trips and am back with great photo references. It will be a long time before I need to search out more inspiration, although, there are quite a few exciting paint-outs coming up with PAPNM....it's easy to be inspired when you're working out in the New Mexico landscape!
I have a friend in town and guess, what? I get to take another day trip! We took off and went to eat at a restaurant in Santa Fe, La Choza. The food was delicious - I love it when they give you real pinto beans instead of refrieds. Then we went to Abiquiu, stopped at the Abiquiu Inn and the Catholic church, then went on the Ghost Ranch, then up to Tierra Amarilla (THAT was one cool old town - lots of Land Grant uprisings there in the 60's and 70's), and then we decided just to go on to Chama, because it wasn't THAT far! We saw signs for Pagosa Springs, Colorado, so I guess we went almost as far north as we can go. The photo above is the beautiful hills and formations in Abiquiu. Man, over 200 photos for painting resources...
This photo is of the Echo Ampitheater, along the road to Tierra Amarilla. I don't know what they do there, but they have trails and it looks like it would be great for outdoor concerts.
This is cuz Goldie and I, hanging out at the Abiquiu Inn.
Umm, can you move, sweet cow?
This is a black and white view of Pedernal, the mountain that Georgia O'Keefe loved to paint, and thought of as her very own. It was a great day. Now I can only procrastinate one more time, then I REALLY have to get to work. I had new large tubes of paint delivered today, so I know, once I start, I won't stop until November! More photos below...
My friend Tom at the old morada in Abiquiu, right next to Georgia O'Keefe's home overlooking the valley. 
Okay, this is the overlook of the Rio Chama. It's not spring yet, so nothing is green, but isn't this lovely? I think it will make an awesome painting.
This was our wonderful find of the day. We turned on a little road outside of Abiquiu that said, "Monastery, 13 miles." The road was dirt all the way and the scenery was so incredibly beautiful. The Rio Chama ran right alongside the road with majestic and colorful outcroppings and hills - they were pastel-colored and reminded me of candy or colored chalk. Cows were grazing in the middle of the road. When we got to the end, the image above is what we saw. This is a church built by a Japanese architect, and there are also all of the monks' housing and a guesthouse. Everyone is welcome here, no matter your religion. They have a beautiful gift shop (they make everything they sell), the whole site is off the grid and uses solar for power. We got to sit in the church for one of their prayer services. To learn more about this serene and beautiful place, go to: www.christdesert.org.
These are only a few of the candy-colored outcroppings we passed on the way.
Well, I think I am almost through procrastinating. I have cleaned my bathroom medicine cabinets, cleaned out my recipe and cookbook cabinets (threw away four plastic bags full of stuff), trimmed bushes and cleaned off the side courtyard where my studio French door is located. I have trimmed almost 50 rosebushes, started work on cleaning out a triangle flower bed and need to start working on the garden (yes, I am determined to have a garden this year, no matter how small).
A CHALLENGE TO HELP JAPAN
"PLAYING"
Okay, so here's the story: The Plein Air Painters of NM (of which I am a member) had a paint-out scheduled for Chimayo yesterday. Early in the morning. I got my cousin to go with me (she HATES getting out early, especially before she's had coffee). So we left the house at about 8:15am. 
Who wouldn't want to be a horse in a setting like this?
My cousin Goldie next to an old gas pump - I was playing with the black and white feature on my camera.
Inside the little Santo de Ninos Chapel at Chimayo.
Okay, it was cold and cloudy and we were searching for a driveway to get into the little church at Truches. This little old house was right next to the church and this cute little elderly lady was out chopping wood for her fire. The pinon firewood smell....ah, there's nothing like it. More photos below
This is a little stream in Truchas, it still had snow in certain parts. The foliage you see is red willow, it's absolutely beautiful in person. There's a sweet little adobe in the back. It was SO quiet here...
The winding main road through the tiny village of Truchas. The house on the right sits on the edge of a drop off to the deep canyon below. Truly a unique little village.
A cute little old adobe home. I thought it would make a beautiful painting, the grey against the blue and white of the sky.
Okay, this is why I love the zoom on my new camera. I was so far away from what I took this photo of - this is the winter view of the village of Chimayo from the highway - going higher up towards Truchas. The trees are all grey so it's not so pretty right now. I plan on going back in about a month and a half and doing another show like this. You won't believe the difference when the trees are green! More photos below
Me having lunch with Ali McGraw at the Tesuque Market Restaurant (well, sort of, you can see my arm on the left!)
Beautiful flower arrangement and Our Lady of Guadalupe at Chimayo
I believe this was near the little village of Truchas on one of the backroads. We were stopped by a young couple from Vermont, who were on a sightseeing trip -they were trying to find the high raod to Taos and had come too far on the little dirt road we were on.
One of the hoodoos on the way to Chimayo
This was a beautiful little graveyard off of the highway onthe way to Truchas. It was so beautiful and sacred, with the snowcapped peaks as a backdrop.
This is a view of the mountain range on the Turquoise Trail. Such serenity and peacefulness.
This is an old hippie (I'm just assuming) and his dog walking down the main street in Madrid. He wasn't too happy that I took his photo.
Obviously, they take their parking spaces seriously in Madrid. I didn't even think about parking here!
Madrid in the winter is not too pretty. We're going back in about a month or so for a "spring" viewing. I think the trees and foliage will be awesome by then. I still love it though.
The sweet little church in Golden, New Mexico. There was a sign posted that they're working on the church and won't be having mass until June or August. You can't even see this church from the road and there are no signs.
I went to a baby shower for my niece yesterday, who is having identical twin baby girls. This is my favorite aunt, Auntie Francis. She is 88 years old, feisty as a fox, and still babysits a million grandkids and great-grandkids in her little hometown of Willard, New Mexico. She has had 23 children in her lifetime and I can't imagine all the stories she has to tell.
A 24x48 canvas that has been sitting on the easel for a few months now. Guess what? It's going to become a big, luscious (hopefully) oil painting. I am starting it on Monday and I hope to post some video of the painting process. I guarantee that it will look nothing like this when it's finished. This one will provbably be going to Weems Gallery Uptown.
I saw the clouds in the sky around 6pm, and I knew the sunset was going to be beautiful tonight. I told my husband, "I'm hopping in the car and taking a quick drive to Elena Gallegos to try out my new camera." I took off and I didn't realize how quickly the sunset disappears. I almost didn't make it. Aren't these beautiful? I took 60 photos (not very many for me) and a bunch of them will become juicy luscious oil paintings. I just turned on the camera and clicked about every 4-5 seconds. I also passed a bunch of bikers. They must have loved watching this sunset on their way down into the valley. The photos are in no particular order.
On this one, I pulled over as close to the side of the road as I could get and jumped out to capture the scene (well, I didn't really jump out). Love the purple of the mountains and valley in the background. Everything looks so peaceful.
The sun was almost gone and down below the horizon line. Wow, look at the clouds up in the sky! I don't think a painting could do this justice. I'm loving my new camera!
"THE WILDFLOWERS"
"EVENING ROOSTER"
