Off the road to the monastery

This is near Abiquiu off an old dirt road that leads to a Benedictine monastery by the Chama River.  When I was working on this scene, a coyote came out of the bushes in the foreground and just stood there and looked at me.  At first I was frightened, but then I realized coyotes usually don't attack people.  This was done the same day as the previous painting.

Near Abiquiu

This is a view at a place everyone calls the Amphitheater because there is a rock formation that looks like a huge natural amphitheater.  I, however,  chose to paint the cliff just to the right of the amphitheater.  The board I used was rather slick and it forced me to lay on the paint thicker than I am accustomed and that turned out to be a good thing.  I was also interested in trying to create the form with color and I think I was successful.  This was a great day!

Under the bridge

This is the same spot I was in yesterday but looking up the river instead of down the river.  I was working near the bridge which crosses the Rio Grande near Pilar.  This is the bridge to the famous road to Ojo Caliente.  So I guess I went overboard on the color here and the red waves are a little strange.  I'll tone those down and also the tree at the top was more in silhouette so that needs to be darkened.  But overall I was pleased.  I did another painting of rocks under the water with which I was even more pleased, but you'll have to wait as I want to make a few minor corrections before I post it.  Tomorrow we'll be in Abiqui all day (Georgie O'Keefe country where I painted Jude's painting).  

Rio Grande Sun Stroke

This was another sun stroke day, even though we started painting at 8 in the morning.  It was fine until about 11:30 but I wanted to finish this painting before leaving.  That might have been a mistake because all the mistakes I now see in this painting were made after that bewitching hour.  I'll correct and touch up this painting later and repost it--maybe.  This spot, by the way, is along the Rio Grande River at a place called the gorge because it is deep in a canyon.  You can't see that because I was focusing on the river. 

St. Francis of Assisi Church in Taos

This is the famous church here in Taos that was built in the 1700's that artists always paint.  I feel like I almost got a sunstroke painting this.  I started at about 8 in the morning and for about two hours it was OK, but towards the end of the morning it got pretty toasty.  Now I know this is going to sound crazy, but when I studied art history back in my college days, I remember the professor going on and on about flying buttresses.  I could never figure out what the heck he was talking about and I guess I was too cool to ask.  When I see this church, I really have to chuckle once again about flying buttresses.  

Oh clouds!

I've been under the weather with a cold for the last two weeks, thus the derth of now entries.  This is a watercolor of the view outside my west studio window in Santa Fe.  I'll be out in Taos all next week with a group of plein air painters.  I plan to post my work daily from Taos.  

Indian Country

I started painting a large  canvas today which is the first of my "Generosity of Water" series, so I didn't paint the small painting that I had planned.  Instead I offer you this landscape that I painted some time ago near Abiqui.  You can almost see the Indians at the top of the mesa sending smoke signals.  I gave this painting to the cutest little boy in the world, my grandson, Jude.