new daily painting

"SPRING THUNDERSTORM"

8x6"

$99

A New Mexico thunderstorm.

Nothing else like it in the world.

Majestic and magnificent!

This was so fun to paint. 

Lots of rich color and thick texture.

Can you feel the raindrops?

To purchase, click the Paypal button below.

RAIN, FLOWERS, AND LOVE

RAIN

We have rain guys!

It has rained on and off all last night and today and

all I can say is, it is HEAVENLY.

We get excited about raindrops here -

mostly because we're in a drought and it is dry.

But this is beautiful.

It means I don't have to hand water the tomatoes.

It means my car got washed off.

And everything outside is a lovely shade of spring green.

And it is cool.....

stream right outside Santuario de Chimayo

I was going to paint today but I think that's out.

This is reading and sleeping weather.

hollyhocks from last year

Next week I am planning an in-town day trip.

To take photos of flowers and especially hollyhocks.

Old Town has some beautiful varieties and so do different neighborhoods.

Memorial Day means a backyard barbeque, of course!

I am going to attempt steaks, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes.

Normally I don't grill anything but burgers and  hot dogs, so this will be a stretch.

I don't really care about the food, I just want to hang out with my kids,

my new granddaughter, and enjoy life.

What will you be doing?

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!!

"AFTER SPRING RAIN"

6x6"

#119

TO PURCHASE CLICK HERE

You know, I love painting these beautiful wildflower masses.

I could do it ALL day...

There's something about not having to place color in a certain spot.

It's more like "making marks" and working with the cohesion of colors. 

I do love painting landscapes and still lifes too, but this is my passion!

REMINDER

EVENT: After the Challenge Mexican Fiesta

WHEN:  Sunday, September 29, 2013, 1-4pm

WHERE: under the cottonwoods at my north valley home

COST: $49 per person

PROCEEDS: benefit local animal group NM Dogs Deserve Better

Limited to 60 people - 40 spots left

DETAILS 

Blue corn chicken and cheese enchiladas

Guacamole, salsa, queso, chips

Flautas, sopaipillas, beans, rice

Dessert

Music by Mezcla Latina

$2000 Dee Sanchez painting giveaway

Door Prizes

To register, mail your check to

Dee Sanchez

403 Camino del Bosque NW

Albuquerque, NM  87114

For more information, call 505-792-1030

"SKYFALL"

"SKYFALL"

30x30"

acrylic on canvas

My newest painting for Weems Gallery Uptown show called "SKIES" 

opening this Saturday.

413 spring rain

"SPRING RAIN"

413
8X8"

oil on hardboard

$99

I am loving this daily painting adventure again!

This is a painting from one of my photos from last year of a 

beautiful little rainstorm that was happening 

off on the mesa as I was driving near Abiquiu.

I'm also working on a large sunflower commission 

and I will post photos of that work in progress tonight.

Life is good - except for not having a kitchen.....

It's hard to wash your brushes AND your dishes in the same bathroom sink.

If you love this painting and want to purchase through Paypal, please click HERE.

What I've been up to....

"HIDDEN"

8X8"

oil on cradled hardboard

Hi guys, I know it's been a while since I've posted, but don't think I haven't been busy. 

Planning and organizing for two big back-to-back shows is exhausting! 

The image above is a new painting for the Balloon Fiesta show coming up October 6-14th.

It's of an old adobe building and a small hay barn in Arroyo Seco.

 The posters are here! The posters are here!

I spent one day last week hand-signing 400 of them.

It was hard but didn't take as long as I thought. 

We had a system!

 The image above and this article appeared in Albuquerque the Magazine's August edition, which is on the stands now. I can't believe that smile. I didn't want to and the photographer kept trying to make me laugh.

Not one of my better moments!

 Laying the posters out at Balloon Fiesta Headquarters for signing and numbering.

The posters will be available at www.balloonfiesta.com. 

They are $65 unsigned, $150 signed.

Their number is 505-821-1000.

 My husband and I decided to take a short trip to Taos for 

our 35th wedding anniversary (40 together).

We hardly ever travel alone, or we're always going to visit family.

This time it was just the two of us.

The image above is a raincloud gathering steam along the way.

You know this will be a Balloon Fiesta painting!

The river running through the mountains headed to Taos. 

needless to say, it was gorgeous!

The Rio Grande Gorge.

A bunch of you know what I mean when I say that as you 

come out of the horseshoe curve you have the best view of the gorge in the world.

This was where we stayed.

 El Monte Sagrado, which I think means sacred mountain.

It's very beautiful and interesting. 

 Fruit trees and native landscaping all around.

The rooms are all themed: Tibet, Japan, Painted Pony, Carribean, African, etc. 

This is a little casita at the resort with it's own private courtyard.

We ate at Tomasita's in Santa Fe on the way, then had dinner in Taos at Orlando's. 

We drove on through Arroyo Seco, which you see above.

Beautiful day.

The next morning, we had to go eat at Michael's Kitchen, the best place to eat in Taos.

Then it was time for home.

Oh, and we lost $10 gambling.

Bummer.

Passing Camel Rock on the way home. 

A natural formation that you used to be able to climb

 on and now they have fenced off for protection.

When we got home, it poured on us. 

Heavenly rain. unexpected.

Good to be home.

Guess what was waiting for me at home?

A huge order of cradled gessobord.

And that's not even all of it - they have the rest on backorder. 

Sheesh.

My daughter unboxed it and stacked it for me.

Sweet.

 These are some ornaments I started working on before I left.

I'm excited about these.

I'm going to try to get 40-50 done for the fiesta.

We'll see.

 Back at work, toning panels.

Such fun!

 My cousin and I went to Corrales to eat at Hannah and Nate's

and take a drive by "my" cornfield. I always like to track its progress.

It's pretty nigh and looked like it had already been picked.

 I believe this is green chile.

We'll go back in a couple of weeks and see what's happening.

Check out my newest blog,

"LET'S PAINT NEW MEXICO!"

Over 30 artists accepted the challenge of making art

from an image I post on the 1st and 15th of every  month.

the results from Challenge 1 have been beautiful.

To see the artwork, click HERE.

I'm doing a commission of Los Poblanos and had to go take some photos yesterday.

The clouds and the mountains were beautiful.

Los Poblanos was fair - the lotus flowers had faded, as had most of the roses. 

 This is a photo of the Los Poblanos Inn with their adobe wall, roses, and pampas grass.

I know, this is probably a boring photo for you, 

but this is one of my favorite places to photograph in Albuquerque. 

I call it "the house" and it's not really even a house, I think it's a storage shed. 

It sits in the Alameda Open Space and the fields are called "Alamo Farms."

You can walk the trail around it, but you can't walk into the open space.

I just like it because it has the backdrop of the mountains, 

and the field is always changing color.

So, if you see a painting that has the words "the house" in it, 

you'll know it's right here.

That's all for now - what a long post!

I am back to work, so look for daily postings.

Balloon paintings are available for purchase, until it the middle of September, 

so if you see something you love, email me at deesanchezart@hotmail.com

I missed you guys! Bye now...

New Paintings

 "GOLDEN HILLS NEAR JEMEZ"

8X10"

This is a fall view of the Jemez hills.

I have such a craving to go on a day trip - you wouldn't believe it. 

It's been so hot here, though, so I'm trying to wait until it cools off a little. 

I want to go to Jemez, Abiquiu, Taos, Ghost Ranch - you name it, all of my favorite places.

I'm praying for rain and cooler temperatures.

 "THE RAIN NEAR SANTA FE"

5X5"

I'm tryin to put a name to the location on each painting so I don't forget.

This was snapped off to the right on the way to Santa Fe.

 "LAST SUN, ALGODONES"

5X5"

Love this sweet little painting.

 "DEEP PINK"  TAOS

5X5"

This is another rendition of my hollyhocks on grey.

The grey adobe is now has a little more cool yellow - 

makes it feel more like summer hollyhocks.

This are my panels for Balloon Fiesta.

They are hard panels with wood around the sides to act as a frame.

Before I begin a painting,  I tape the sides so I don't get paint on them.

After I'm done with the painting, I strip the tape off and paint the wooden sides black. 

They feel like sturdy boxes with their own little frames.

I love them!

I had so much fun today! 

Goldie and I left early for my paint out and interview at the Puye Cliff dwellings, outside of Espanola. It was cloudy almost all day and we even got rained on a little. We stopped and had breakfast at our favorite place, the Tesuque General Store. Then we headed to the cliff dwellings, got a little lost in Espanola, and finally made it for the painting and the interview. The dwellings were amazing. I wish I had taken more photos. The holes you see in the photo above were where the dwellers carved holes into the rock. Then they went inside and made holes over that for vigas to hold up rafters for their house dwellings. I always thought they lived inside the cliffs. I  brought home some brochures so I can read up and be better informed. 

 After taking a few shots, I set up my little plein air spot and you can see my canvas below. 

As soon as I started painting, the clouds started gathering. I worked fast, did the interview and then it started raining. We gathered up all of my painting supplies and climbed into the cars and were off. I will have to finish this at home. But I like what I have so far. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see one of the forty foot ladders that leads to the midway point.    
Those cliffs are high!

 My rough sketch. I'm using a canvas that I had intended to paint something else on, but I ignored those old lines.

 Blocking in the darks (there aren't many!), the lightest lights, and more notes of color.

 The sky (it changed as it thundered and lumbered over us), and color notes on the cliffs.
This is what I will be bringing home to finish in the studio.

    

Other photos from the trip: the gathering storm

 Low rain clouds over the mesa

 This is so New Mexico. We loved it!

 We actually drove around a little bit and found this big beautiful plateau. I wondered if it might be Black Mesa. The only reason I know about it is because someone once asked me if I had ever painted it. This plateau is big, beautiful, and very mystical. We saw it, and went inside the gas station to ask what it was called. The lady goes, "You mean that big old rock out there? That's Black Mesa."

San Idelfonso. 

This is one of the most beautiful little churches in New Mexico. To go to Mass and have the Black Mesa as your backdrop - that would be fantastic. I have painted this church only once from a friend's photo and now I can paint it as many times as I want!  
And I also love the white crosses in the landscape.

What I want you to also notice is the range of blues in the mountains on the left.
Beautiful.

 Another view of the church. 

This is from the other side and it has the prettiest turquoise windows.

Look at the hills behind it and the mountain range. 

Pictures just don't do justice to what we saw today.

 I have to say that the clouds were pretty spectacular.

As a painter, I would prefer clouds over solid blue sky any day. 

The ever-moving and changing clouds make for great photos and even better painting.

Another view of the range of colors in the landscape. I love the different shades of green in the foreground, the meandering shades of oranges and browns in the middle ground and all of the blues of the mountains and thunderclouds in the background.

Headed back home - it was a GREAT day! I am totally inspired now.