Saturday, March 28, 2015

new direction

 "WINDOWSILL"
6X6"
oil on panel

"BLOOMS"
8x10"
oil on panel

Oh my goodness, I think I've found my calling.
I've always admired thick, juicy, impasto paintings.
I never thought that one day I would be painting them.

I am learning by trial and error and reading about how to paint with a knife.

I absolutely can't wait to get out on location and see what happens....

Thursday, March 19, 2015

always looking


I know people who like to travel.
Anywhere. Anytime.

All over the world.
Not me.

I DO love traveling.
But I keep my traveling close.

I can (and will)spend the rest of my life traveling all over this beautiful state of New Mexico.

Painting, taking photographs, 
and hopefully hanging out with people I love.
 Or alone.

I find it hard to travel with people 
when I paint.
I need quiet. I need to think.
I need to find that perfect composition.

But other times, I love company.
I love traveling with relatives or friends 
to Chimayo or Abiquiu:

 enjoying Monastery road

 having lunch at the Abiquiu Inn

 Enjoying Ghost Ranch and Pedernal

 meeting new friends

 and finding new, mysterious places


Then, there are other times 
I just really like being alone.
Why?

 to ponder the beauty of creation

 To sit and enjoy a spring day 

 to find sacred places

 to find hidden painting spots

 to see beautiful things
 
Fellow artists, we are not normal.
Not me anyway.
I am caught between two worlds.

In one world I need companionship, relationships, and people.

And in the other world, I need quiet time, alone time,and solitude.
For thinking, planning, and creating.

And sometimes, I just really need to hold my graddaughter.


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

"REACHING"

"REACHING"
10x8"
oil on canvas

It's evening and we have a few rain 
sprinkles happening right now.
It's so nice because it's not really cold.
Just soft and enjoyable.

I am making nachos for dinner (right now!).
Here is the easy recipe:
Saute organic chicken breast. Chop.
Warm organic black beans
Heat sesame blue chips

Put a layer of chips on an individual plate.
Add chicken, then black beans. 
Add onion, and as much 
nacho sauce as you want.
Add chopped lettuce, tomato,and avocado.
Yummy.

The above painting makes me excited for
spring - and the official beginning of
spring is in just a few days.

Can't wait.

I will spend the next few days painting, 
shredding papers, 
and working on taxes.
Lucky me.
On the painting, anyway.... 
Not so much on the taxes. 




A NEW DREAM

"CANONES STREAM"
6x6"
oil on panel

I LOVE palette knife paintings. 
I mean, REALLY love them.
When I'm perusing an art magazine, 
I can spot the knife paintings straight away.

So, I thought this would be so easy - 
my first palette knife panting. 
It was not.

I didn't know how to start.
I didn't mix enough paint and would have
to keep remixing. 
I was working on a 6x6" panel 
and felt like I needed something MUCH bigger!

I put paint where it didn't go.
I kept forgetting to lay down one color,
then wipe the knife and lay down the next one,
so the colors kept blending
 and I would have to wipe everything
 off and start again. 

I want this to be my lifelong passion, 
so I realize that I need to 
practice, practice, practice.
My goal is to be a really good plein air palette knife painter.

I do realize that if I do really large paintings, 
I will need trowels!

Wish me luck! 
And if there are any knife painters out there, send me your tips.
PLEASE!

Monday, March 16, 2015

ROAD TRIP

Finally, I was able to go on a paint-out, even though it was close by,
to the village of Placitas,
which is about 15 minutes away from my house.

I also went to Algodones and Bernalillo.
Nothing is green yet, but everything was still beautiful to me.


 This are the Algodones plateaus with beautiful winter color.

 A tumbleweed acequia. 
Empty but ready to be cleaned and filled.

 A pretty cross at San Antonio church,
the pretty little old Catholic church in the heart of the village.
I look forward to going again when the roses
are in full bloom.

Looking at the the Placitas Loop road in 
the foreground, the Algodones plateau in the
middle ground, and the Jemez mountains
in the background.
And those clouds!


 A closer look at the plateau.
Can you image that cottonwood in full bloom?
And those grey trees in the back will be
spring green shortly.
What a nice life for the horses living there!


 The cemetery in Algodones.


 A really cool hand-painted fence!


 Well, if it only had wheels?


 A roadside descanso.


 This is a beautiful but dry arroyo 
near the plateau.
I was drawn to the dark golden bushes on the right.


 Okay, someone has to go to Algodones and tell me what this is!
I know it's a cross, but what's on it?
I'm going to take binoculars next time!


 San Antonio Church
I've painted this scene several times.


 A really cool old truck

 Cholla cactus before it blooms that beautiful fuschia color.


 A winding wash in Placitas
with the Sandias as a backdrop.
Last year, on a windy day, I lost my
canvas down this little wash.

 This is the side of a pretty old church in Bernalillo.


 View of the Sandia mountains and pretty clouds.

My only painting that came from that day.
It's funny, I haven't been out on location
for a while and I forgot some basics:
my umbrella, my hat, my sunscreen.

I had a blast.
I got so many reference photos and
it was so nice being out in the mountains
with only the wind and the birds 
for company.

Friday, March 13, 2015

spring

 SPRING IS ALMOST HERE!

Can you tell I'm excited?

I am SO ready.
And we haven't even had a bad winter!
I bought new ratchet lopers, new clippers,
and as soon as I get a big block of time,
those hedges are getting a haircut.

On another note:
I am working on a commission similar
to the above photo.

I spent all last week cleaning out my studio
and now I want to have it painted.
It;s funny how one thing leads to another.

More tomorrow...