Friday 8th May 2009 - Gorge

On duty in the gallery and worked on this one during the day. Shari showed Jane and I this spot on the gorge north of Hondo, some way down a dirt road that you wouldn't find unless you were really looking for it. We took photos that day but it was too windy to paint.

After doing those big views on tiny canvasses, it was nice to spread out on this larger canvas. As the day wore on I realised that the cold I've been trying to kick for weeks really hadn't gone and I felt really quite ill and spent the whole weekend resting. I look forward to working on this one some more when I'm fully recovered.

Gorge Tree - 24 x30 - oil on canvas - unfinished.

Thursday 12th February 2009 - Ray's

I did most of this painting when I was on duty at the gallery last Tuesday and brought it in to Ray to see if he could help me make it a better painting. He suggested making the buildings on the right a little brighter - they were very washed out in the photo I was working from. It made a big difference. It was easier to sharpen the definition in the big tree with the paint nearly dry than it was on Tuesday.



Another sunset of the mountain, the light was just delicious and completely irresistible to me. This one is not finished.

Kit Carson Road Shade - 12 x 12" - oil on canvas panel - $575
Late Afternoon Light on Taos Mountain - 12 x 12" - oil on canvas panel - $575

Friday 2nd November - Embudo

I met up with Jane and Shari for lunch in the Guadalahara Grill in Taos and then we all piled into one car with our paints and easels and headed South out of town. Shari had noticed there were still some brightly coloured trees along the river so we set off to find a good spot to paint. We stopped and hiked around a number of times until we found this spot, at Embudo Station. We were able to stand under the brigde and get some shade while looking downriver with everything beautifully backlit as the sun lowered in the sky. It was a lovely day out with my friends as well as a productive one!
Embudo - oil on canvas - 16 x 12" - $575

Monday 15th October 2007 - Basalt Fall

Another day to paint in Colorado and i went up to look at Maroon Bells, a local beauty spot. It was fabulous, the red rock formations and the reflections in the lake but it was definitely winter and I wasn't really prepared for it, no hat, no gloves. Instead I drove down the valley where it was much more of a Fall scene and quite a lot warmer.

This is the view from the bridge going into Basalt. The Fall colours were wonderful and got prettier as the sun started to lower in the sky.

Basalt Fall - Oil on Canvas - 12x12" - $425

Monday 8th October - Embudo

On Sunday I was told that the best photographers and painters do their work at sunrise or sunset as the light is at it's most interesting. I usually paint in the morning so the painting session is coming to a close when the light is most directly overhead and flat. I wondered idly about how I would change my routine.

How strange that the very next day, Shari should change our morning meeting time to mid-afternoon when some unforseen problems had to be dealt with! At 3PM we drove south out of Taos towards Embudo. I had it in my head that I wanted to paint Fall colours next to the river and we drove around until we found a spot that inspired both of us.



Once the sun started setting, the light moved very fast and it was exciting to try to capture it and so very beautiful. I thought this was not bad for a second attempt at sunset painting (there is a gorge painting earlier in the blog that was painted late afternoon) and that I shall enjoy developing these skills further.
Embudo - oil on canvas - 20x20 - sold