On the Way to Socorro, NM

On the Way to Socorro, NM

Yesterday I joined a couple of artist friends to travel to Socorro for the final day of the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, PAPNM. We left at dawn for the two hour drive so we could arrive for the beginning of the "Fast Draw."
I have devised a system to paint with oils in the car so I was able enjoy trying to capture the bright, early light of the desert with a palette knife. The bumps from the road make for an interesting blob here but with a knife it is easy to either remove the offending mark or use it to advantage.
The drive is truly beautiful and I am always surprised when I hear people complain that there is nothing to see. The long stretch of I-25, shown here, is full of the arroyos filled with sand created by the rain water draining down from the  distant mountains (hills...all depends where you are from!) The desert grass and bushes are abundant at this time of year (after our rainy season) and some have small golden flowers on them.
We enjoyed watching the artists paint, followed by an exhibition of the week long painting event that was high caliber. It was completely satisfying for our artist's souls. We also managed to get an hour of painting time in for ourselves and we came back to Las Cruces in a contented mood.

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