Path by the Rio Grande

Path by the Rio Grande

6x8in oil on canvas board $100.

When I first saw the Rio Grande River I was still living in England. It was in a movie with cowboys driving cattle across it. I can still remember clearly how the stunning beauty of the surrounding landscape and the surging water caught my imagination. It never, ever, occurred to me that one day I would be living near this great river. It is the lifeblood of the farms in this area and it cuts a path of green through the desert of southern New Mexico. I love to walk along its banks and sometimes there are clear spaces where you can see the river and other times are like this pathway.

This is at sunrise. Sometimes I think it is more beautiful than sunset. The colors from the rising sun, although bright, are not as intense and the light from the overhead sky usually casts a gentle blanket of coolness in shadows.

Brass Plate with Pears and Plums

Brass Plate with Pears and Plums

6x8in oil on canvas board $100.

I did this for the Rectangle Challenge on Paintworks. The challenge is to only use rectangular strokes and on top of that - a color change with each stroke. It is a great concept and I tried but failed in parts because I kept forgetting as I became engrossed in the painting and would resume to my usual manner. Will try another one trying to follow the rules.

Pears and Plums ll

Pears and Plums ll

6x8 oil on canvas board $100.

I am feeling all "pushing color" out. After a few days of "pushing color" I find I am looking for a nice, gray subject. Maybe I will do this subject matter in a different palette tomorrow.

Pears and Plums

Pears and Plums

6x8in oil on canvas board $100.

A more traditional approach but still pushing the color a little bit.

Colored Patterns

Colored Patterns

8x6in oil on canvas board 100.

I have a friend who thinks I paint "too tonal" - this piece should settle that!

I have been told that if you are a natural tonalist you will always be that way and the most you can hope for it to learn to "push" your color. Same thing goes for a natural "colorist" because if they want to they can learn to tone it down a bit with grays . When I teach I can see that there is a lot of truth in the theory.

By the way, the friend who thinks I am too tonal is...surprise, surprise, a natural colorist.

Anyway, the New Mexico landscape today is another deliberate attempt to be bolder with the color while I am taking myself out of my comfort zone with a new technique. The interesting thing is I have not changed any color on my palette, I am just mixing and placing the colors differently.

Freesias and Plums

Freesias and Plums

8x6in oil on canvas board 100.

This blue and orange color scheme is pushed in intensity more than my normal palette.

I am experimenting with a different technique and if I stuck to using my usual colors I would most likely fall back into my comfort zone....if there is such a thing for little old, critical me!

Robb's Orchids

Robb's Orchids

8x6in oil on canvas 100.

Our friend Robb, who lives in Santa Fe, has several talents and one of them is having a green thumb. He has quite a few beautiful orchid plants around the house and I had fun with this one.

Orchids and Freesias - both together.

I tried something different with this painting. I mushed the paint around quite freely, aiming for design and color more than actual representation. Then I lifted out some outlines. I enjoyed doing this so much I am going to try the same technique on a landscape.

Cloud Study #6

Cloud Study #6

6x8 oil on canvas 100.

I am painting a lot of cloud studies because come the fall, the skies turn a brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight. This view is in northern New Mexico.

Blue and orange - natures perfect complements. Even the pinon bushes have lots of orange in the green.

Studio Window in Santa Fe

Studio Window

8x6in oil on canvas 100.

My friend in Tesuque is a fabulous artist and this is one of her studio windows painted in the early morning. She has this enormous pot filled with glowing red geraniums. They are so bright that you almost need sunglasses on to look at them. I painted them in the shade but maybe I will try painting them in the sun later.

Her husband has done incredible things with the landscaping. It is all very natural and organic in the curves and rhythms of the different, secluded and shaded areas to read (paint) and rest in...not easy to find in the hot arid air of NM.

Cloud Study #5

Cloud Study #5

8x6in oil on canvas 100.

At Ghost Ranch you have lots of different views of the Pedregal area. The bright rust colored dirt contrasts beautifully with the blues of the distant mountains and the reflected Abiquiu reservoir. The rain storm had just passed and water is streaming through the small arroyos. For an artist this is a heart pumping moment.

If you follow this blog then by now you know I love this area.

Red Weber in Santa Fe

Red Weber in Santa Fe

6x6in oil on canvas 85.

As much as I adore the shape of these Weber grills I have found that

these little suckers are hard to paint. At first glance they look round

but as you really study them you realize they are far from it.

Anyway, I had fun painting this in the morning and then our host cooked

a buffalo burger for lunch. Delicious.

Grill Next To Roses

Grill Next To Roses

6x6in oil on canvas 85.

Our friends in Albuquerque are really good cooks and they gave up their gas grill to go back to the grill they consider the best...the Weber! I adore the funky shape. I enjoyed painting it, especially the reflections of the sky and trees...but not as much as I enjoyed eating what they cooked on it.

We arrived at our friends house in the hills of Tesuque. It is a beautiful area just north east of Santa Fe. Guess what they have? A bright RED Weber. I see another painting coming up.

Santa Fe Lane

We arrived in Santa Fe after a enjoyable couple of days in Albuquerque.

My husband is with me on this trip and he is very patient and cooperative when I see something I want to paint. This is one of the many picturesque lanes in this area.

I have no idea why I find the adobe so neat to paint. Why do I prefer to paint these "every shade of brown" houses? It is a mystery but they do make me respond emotionally to their unique beauty.

A limited palette of:

cad yellow light, alizarin, ultramarine, ivory black (for the greens) and titanium white, was used.

Los Ranchos Wall, NM

Los Ranchos Wall, NM

6x8in oil on canvas 100.

I painted this early yesterday morning. The light was lovely on this old adobe home. I try to paint this house and wall every time I visit my friends and because it is directly across the road from them, I have been lucky enough to paint it through the years.

Art lovers live in this house and the inside is as wonderful as the outside.

Mesilla Irrigation Ditch

Mesilla Irrigation Ditch

6x8in oil on canvas 100.

Mesilla is a beautiful and historic small town in southern New Mexico and only a 20 minute drive from where I live in Las Cruces. There are many, many fabulous places for an artist to paint here.

I did this piece before I left for Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

This morning I am in Albuquerque and I painted an old adobe directly across from my friends, Pam and Steve's house where I am staying. I will post the painting tomorrow.

Steve Cox is a writer of science fiction/action adventure books.

Check out his website www.stephenrcox.com

Off to the Recycle Place

Off to the Recycle Place

6x8in oil on raymar board $100.

This is the last of the cans and the most fun to do. The plastic grocery store bag is semi transparent and more difficult to paint than I thought it would be. The Sprite can was a first for me and getting the green reflection in the correct value took some time.

Let me pass on a funny story...well, I think it is funny.

I went to the hairdressers yesterday and she mentioned I had blue paint by my ear and after I told her I was painting a Bud Light can, she paused, then said..."I thought they were already blue."

Think about it.

Life is great!

Marine Workshop Memories

Marine Workshop Memories

You have made a difference in so many lives.

We are all lucky. Thank you, Carol.

Have a fabulous year.

Check out Carol's AMAZING blog www.carolmarine.blogspot.com

This Buds For You!

This Buds For You!

8x6in oil on raymar board 100.

I am having fun with the cans. It is a challenge to do the ellipse correctly so that keeps me totally involved. The different shades of blue range from a warm turquoise to a deep blue, which is a mixture of Alizarin, Utramarine Blue and Veridian. I do love the fine red line which goes down one side of the aluminum stripe. Just enough punch.

His and Hers

His and Hers

8x6 oil on raymar board 100.

I saw the DailyPaintworks Challenge on reflections and I thought it sounded interesting. I enjoyed doing this.

I placed a small mirror under the set-up to capture the reflections but my real pleasure was to be found in the exploration of the reflections bouncing around on the cans.

Ginger Tea

Ginger Tea

6x6in oil on Raymar board $85.

This is the first time I have done a DailyPaintworks Challenge. My interest grew as I saw that many of the artists who participate also use the painting as part of the Daily Painting schedule.

I enjoyed doing it and will certainly do another one.

To see how the many artists interpreted the "Paint Your Mug" Daily Challenge

click on the box on the right.

Two Urns

Two Urns


8x6in oil on raymar board $100.

This was a quick study of two urns. I find when I paint quickly like this
it has a different feel to the more carefully finished pieces. I am always interested in how some people - usually artists - prefer the more relaxed painting while others prefer a more finished piece.

I am still working with the same limited palette and the yellow ochre on the front urn was made with the Primary Yellow and a reddish purple made from the Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin.

Santa Fe Window

Santa Fe Window

8x6in oil on canvas 100.

Santa Fe has many beautiful and interesting windows. This window box was on an old adobe at the back of Canyon Road. What appealed to me were the shadow patterns as well as the window box.

This particular adobe house had several great features and I found the front door to be wonderful too... so I painted it as well.

I am going back up to Santa Fe next week so I will be painting more plein air pieces.

Italian Tureen with Lemons

Italian Tureen with Lemons

6x6in oil on canvas 80.

This lovely Italian tureen belongs to a friend who goes to Italy and

buys the ceramic ware. Her collection is very impressive.

I find the juxtaposition of the real fruit next to the ceramic,

painted fruit, interesting.

The striped napkin was put in to balance all the soft round shapes.

Limited palette again.

Palette Knife Callas #2

Palette Knife Callas #2

6x8in oil on canvas 100.

Painting the Callas with a palette knife is more difficult for me but I enjoy not only the challenge but also the results. I tried for a slightly more muted color palette than my previous attempt as the colors of the mailbox paintings were so bright my eyes needed a change.

I am still painting with a limited palette.

For reference I used a drawing of callas I had done for a previous painting that I am proud to say was selected to be in the fabulous, Nita Leland's, The New Creative Artist. A book I highly recommend for developing your creative spirit. Published By North Light it can be found on Amazon. Nita has the ability to present ideas and techniques in an easy to understand manner. All her books are wonderful.

Cloud Study #4

Cloud Study #4

6x8in oil on canvas 100.

This cloud study was painted in the late afternoon and the color of the light from the sun was becoming even warmer. The white clouds higher up are still pretty creamy but the lower ones are below the rays. The blue of the sky at this time is influenced by the warmer sun and it becomes a wonderful greeny blue which is hard to describe. These small painting are the perfect size to try and capture these fast moving changes.

Artistic Mailboxes

Artistic Mailboxes

6x8in oil on canvas 100.

This is the close-up view I painted of the Galisteo mailboxes. The community has to be a fun group for them all to have painted their boxes this way. There had to be at least 12 boxes - all painted, all different.

Gourds are growing at the base and wild flowers were scattered about. The adobe behind the boxes had painted water spouts from the roof in a bright pink. FUN!!!