El Prado

 

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

ON LOAN

This study is a scene that became very familiar to me when I lived near Taos, New Mexico.  I needed to find safe areas to walk my little dog Lola and maybe let her enjoy some off-leash time, something she loves.  El Prado is a high-end neighborhood in the north section of Taos as you're heading toward Taos Ski Valley.  It is dotted with well-kept modern adobe homes, the only drawback for me being that there are no paved roads in that area; in fact, much of Taos is unpaved, a bit of a nightmare in winter.  That's why many of these nice homes are either unoccupied or rented out for the duration of what can sometimes be a brutal winter.  I lived there for only one year in 2018, but it was a heavy snowfall that winter and I found it to be a deal breaker, coming as I did from the California coast, where snowfall is unheard of.  Alas, even in El Prado, I found free-roaming dogs on occasion.  I always had to be vigilant for my dog's safety everywhere I went, which was psychically exhausting.  The views of Taos Mountain and the Ski Valley were always breathtaking, though, with the high desert carpeted in sagebrush.

Cottonwood Cluster

 

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Another trip down memory lane with this painting of cottonwood trees by the roadside I found so enchanting on a drive from Taos to Ojo Caliente.

Lower Ranchitos

 

oil on canvasboard, 6" x 12"

This study is a rural scene from the lower end of Taos, New Mexico, mostly done with palette knife.  

Casa Azul with Taos Mountain, Early Spring

oil on panel, 10" x 10"

This is the view I had from my kitchen window in Arroyo Seco, NM.  This scene frequently mesmerized me with the ever-changing moods of that mountain.  It seemed like a living, breathing thing.

Bedroom Window, Casa Azul

oil on panel, 10" x 8"

The narrative painting of my previous post reminded me of Taos, New Mexico, where I was first introduced to the narrative approach to painting, which reminded me of the casita I inhabited for a year.  It was an amazing place with astounding views of Taos Mountain, and it would glow at times with an otherworldly radiance.  I've tried to capture the intensity of that glow in late afternoon.

Winter Garden

 

acrylic on canvas, 12" x 16"

This is a winter scene from the property in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico where I lived in 2018.  It was a magical 4-acre property, a sculpture garden with both natural and man-made sculptures dotted throughout, one of which (a wood totem) is visible beyond the stream on the right.  

The Vagabond

 

acrylic on canvas, 8" x 16"

Out on the mesa near Taos, New Mexico, there is a cluster of rentable trailers next to the Taos Brewery in a compound called Hotel Luna Mystica.  It's a form of "glamping" (glamorous camping) which affords everyone awesome views from all directions.  I was particularly taken with this turquoise-painted trailer, dubbed "The Vagabond."  Aside from the mountains rising in the background, the sky is often the star of the show, offering consistently spectacular sunsets and sunrises. 

Sting Me!

oil on panel, 18" x 18"

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of paintings of my little dog Lola.  She is an extraordinary zen-like being and it's been difficult to capture her special essence with a camera, much less a paint brush, but I feel satisfied with this one.  She came through for me very early on in the process, and so I've left her face untouched in places from the first go round.  

Chamisa

acrylic on canvas paper, 9" x 12

An aerial view of chamisa, a beautiful, fragrant shrub and a common sight in New Mexico.  It makes for a fun color study.

Green Adobe with Chamisa

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

After a long hiatus, I'm finally able to start clearing some time for painting again.  Other obligations pulled me away as I was starting this one, so its trajectory was interrupted and, although I worked it to some sense of completion, I can't help wondering how different it would have turned out had I been able to work it from start to finish in one or two back-to-back sessions.  This is a corner of a modern adobe home I often drove by on my way to and from Arroyo Seco, a charming little village in New Mexico between Taos and Taos Ski Valley.  I loved the pale green color of the walls of this home set against the citron yellow of the chamisa blossoms, with the latilla ladder leaning against a wall, and the peak of Taos Mountain just "peaking" over the home.  This is a quintessential Southwest scene, at least to my eyes.

Backyard Cottonwoods

oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here's another New Mexico painting dug out of storage, one that I'd forgotten about.  I painted this with a palette knife en plein air in my backyard one brilliant day.  I love the irregularity and organic look of latilla fences of the Southwest, and the view from my backyard of those golden cottonwood trees was just amazing.

Holy Cow

oil on panel, 24" x 24"

I started this painting in New Mexico and finished it here in California.  This is one of those iconic Southwestern sights, and a reminder of our temporary status here on earth, that we, too, are just passing through.  I find the bones themselves to be luminous and wanted to accentuate that quality. I also love the curvilinear shapes of those horns!

The Sun Feels So Good

iPad painting, 10" x 14"

I'm going to be posting some digital paintings from my year in New Mexico on this blog until I've finished creating a separate blog to house them.  This is a digital painting I did of a sculpture by the same name on the compound where I was living just north of Taos.  

Seen Better Days

oil on panel, 8" x 10"

I'd been wanting to paint this crumbling adobe home in Taos for a while, but there is no pullout along the road I could use to capture it live.  Couldn't resist the urge any longer, so I took a drive-by photo and painted from that.  I kinda like it.

Truchas

oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Had another plein air adventure yesterday with the Taos group of painters in the picturesque village of Truchas, about an hour's drive south of Taos.  Truchas is an artists' enclave set on a ridge with breathtaking views in every direction.  It was the setting for parts of the Robert Redford film "The Milagro Beanfield War." I love Truchas!

Pearly

oil on cradled panel, 16" x 8"

I started this painting with the idea in mind of messing it up a little at some point, but, as sometimes happens, I grew attached to this little magpie and so decided in the end not to mess with her.  I quite like how her tail feathers blend in with the wood post.  Magpies are beautiful birds, especially when in flight.  

On a Mission

oil on cradled panel, 9" x 12"

This is an attempt to meld architectural elements with abstraction, a painting of one corner of the historic, much photographed and painted church in Ranchos de Taos known as San Francisco de Asis Mission Church.  The simple, clean lines appealed to me, and allowed for the inclusion of my favorite subject this past year:  the bird!  In this one, I've placed the national bird of New Mexico -- the magpie -- on the ledge to the right, and two pigeons (or doves, as the case may be) to the left.  This church has a certain atmosphere conducive to spiritual healing, as I experienced firsthand a few months ago when I was lucky enough to have the place all to myself for some deep reflection . . . well, me and Lola, that is.  St. Francis would have loved her!  

Summer House by Aspen Lake

oil on canvas panel, 12" x 9"

This is a palette knife plein air sketch I did the other day in my first outing with a Taos-based plein air group of painters.  They know all the cool places to paint!  Aspen Lake is a little hidden gem in the Taos Canyon area between Taos and Angel Fire, a popular local ski resort.   

Midday on the Mesa

oil on panel, 6" x 8"

This little study was started on site, at a pullout looking west on Blueberry Hill Road on the outskirts of Taos, and finished in the studio.  It was a hot day and I had started just as the sun was getting intense.  It seems my fascination with cows has followed me to New Mexico.  

Latilla Ladder

oil on cradled panel, 9" x 12"

This painting was done from a photo I took outside the Harwood Museum in Taos.  There was a lavender metal ladder against the wall, which I replaced with a latilla ladder because I find latillas so charming in their irregularities, and they are an identifying feature of this unique region.