Kiowa apache decided to do some pleinAir with me even though it has been 20 years since he was outdoors painting. He was an abstract expressionist. We decided to up to Abiquiu where Georgia O'Keefe
lived for over 20 years at Ghost Ranch. Her spirit was watching over me as I painted "View of Pedernal from Abiquiu.
The light in New Mexico is different. The blues are so bright and the atmospheric perspective and the reflective light against the red rocks is breathtaking. The ravens seemed to be telling me something about this place as my new found Native American friend called to them. Sublime beauty all around me. It just seemed to be breathing with life. "It was always beauty, always!...The landscape lived and lived as the world of the gods, unsullied and unconcerned. The great circling landscape lived its own life, sumptuous and uncaring. Man did not exist for it." D.H. Lawrence, st. Mawt 1925
I could literally turn 360 degrees and continue painting for ever. I will continue to return to the SouthWest
and plan to do a solo show of plein air paintings.
"View of Pedernal from Abiquiu" 10x18 oil on board
"Above The Charma River" 10x18 oil on board.
In this scene it's hard to see that the wind was gusting at 40 mph. I constantly had to hold my easel and brushes with one hand while I painted. These pleinair paintings were done in 3 hrs. and all I had is my iphone to photograph them so the quality is not good. They seem to have more contrast that the original pieces.
I met some very nice people in my short visit and the friendships will last a lifetime. The reception, "American Realists" at the Gerald Peters Gallery was well received.
I look forward on my return. I am off to NYC to do a demo for the Salmagundi Club on 5th Ave.
Happy Painting.
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