Monday 29th June 2009 - Lush Green in the Gorge

A big group of painters got together at an overlook of the gorge I hadn't been to before. Clarence Medina, Kemper Coley, Michelle Chrisman, Sheila O'Malley along with my regular painting buddies Shari Kestenbaum-Ubeschell and Jane Grover.

The gorge looked so green after all the rain we've been having. I found a shady spot by a tree but packed up earlier than I might have when nasty biting insects appeared - my goodness those bites were itchy in the following days!

Here is a photo of the lovely Shari that I took that day



Lush Green in the Gorge - 8 x 10" - oil on canvas panel - $395

Thursday 16th April 2009 - Ray's group

I painted this one in 3 sessions as well, the same as the gorge painting from last week. I block in the overall composition as a second painting in Ray's group, work on it when I am on duty in the gallery and then bring it to Ray to finish it off. Ray really liked this one and urged me to put a higher price on it.

Now I have learned so much about creating a sense of perspective, I am enjoying getting a sense of the massive on a small canvas. The one I started after I finished this one off is on an even smaller canvas, just to see if I can do it!

Rocky Gorge - 12 x 12" - oil on canvas panel - $575

Thursday 8th January 2009 - Ray Vinella's class

Not a bad start to the new year. I started this painting with Shari last week, we had lunch together for a catch up and then took a walk in the snow by this stream at a trailhead just outside of town. We were looking for a good spot to paint in, a good view with some sunshine on us to keep us warm but didn't find one - the good spots were all in the shade or on precarious looking ice. We took photographs and went back to my house, printed the photos up and worked in my warm studio instead.



At the end of the session I felt sure the painting could be better and took it to Ray's class yesterday to work on it some more. he made some good suggestions and I was much happier with it when I finished. Ray mostly encourages me to use brighter, stronger colour.



That lunch with Shari was at the sushi place north of town and I took a photograph of the teepee behind it on that bright sunny day with a recent fall of thick snow. I used that photograph to make this painting in Ray's session too. I think the feeling of light works well in this one.

Ice Bridge - 16 x 12" - oil on canvas - $750
Shelter from the Snow - 10 x 20" - oil on canvas - $795

Monday 10th November 2008 - Fall Colours on the Rio Grande

Another chilly day in Taos, working in the gallery. I painted this one from a photo I took of the Rio Grande, a little south of Pilar.

I had an interesting conversation with a good friend and fellow artist, Rich Nichols. I had noticed that I paint differently when I'm in the gallery. Something to do with being interrupted and strangely I find it easier to focus on smaller details than when I am solely focussed on painting or out painting Plein Aire. I enjoyed painting in details like the rocks in the river and their reflections and the bushes and grasses by the water, whereas when I get into my usual painting flow, it's more about broad strokes. Rich said he paints the same way and usually does 80% of his paintings plein aire and then does the finishing in his studio in the gallery. I find this kind of thing fascinating.

Fall Colours on the Rio Grande - 12 x 16" - oil on canvas panel - sold

Thursday 24th July 2008 - Ray's class

It was so hot today that I decided to paint a snow scene to try to keep me cool. I took the photo of this scene last winter near Pilar.



I took a photo of this Dancer at the Fiesta Parade last weekend - I loved the colours and the movement.

Last Patches of Snow - oil on canvas-board - 11x14" - $595

Fiesta Dancer - oil on canvas-board - 10x8" - $395

Thursday 8th November 2007 - Arroyo Hondo

Another day out painting with Shari - we do make excellent painting buddies! This time we chose the Gorge view from next to the John Dunne Bridge beyond Arroyo Hondo, north of Taos.
We had a good walk around looking for the spot that most interested us. I nearly painted some fishermen who were a little south of me, they looked very interesting backlit, but I didn't fancy squinting into the sun and chose this scene instead. I really liked the reflections of the rocks in the water.
Arroyo Hondo - 16x12" - oil on canvas - sold

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