Reaching Into Heaven

Just the title makes my heart happy. I am adding this link to my list because artist Sheri Gundry has a beautiful and refreshing website. Click on Reaching Into Heaven to see her work and read about creativity and the artist life; it goes deeper than the esthetic,
and I like it.

Springtime in New Mexico

At this time of year Taos is always a good idea. Spring comes very slowly to Southern Colorado and when the possibility of BIG snow in May is very strong, a little escape to Taos is often a much needed shot in the (painting) arm.
I will be in New Mexico all of next week with the High Desert Painters, a plein air group formed in 2004 to paint en plein air around the country and encourage each other as plein air artists. Click here on 'High Desert Painters' to see the HDP website, see the other painters and view their work.
I have spent several days in the studio doing the tedious work of making panels so I am armed and when I get back, hopefully, I will have a few pieces to share. At the end of the next week the Plein Air Painters of Colorado (PAAC) together with the Plein air Artist of New Mexico (PANM) will be gathering in Taos for a Spring Paint out. Sue Mc Cullough and I will join those groups for a few more days of painting in Taos.
May is like that - painters popping out of the woodwork- and into the landscape, a little frenetic and a little crazed. I chalk it up to cabin fever.

Business and Pleasure

Wednesday I made a trip to Taos for some very happy business;
I took 4 of my larger studio pieces down to the Wilder Nightingale Gallery who will be representing me in Taos. Sue McCullough rode along and between us there is always a lot of painting party potential. We called Kemper Coley who had plans to meet Peggy Immel and Dee Beard Dean; before we knew it our little group was painting at the edge of the Taos gorge. My piece is posted at top, Peg is pictured painting down below us, tucked in the trees and Sue and Kemper joked around a little too close to edge of the gorge for my taste. It was one of those perfect, blue sky New Mexico Spring days and in town the crab apple trees are in full bloom; so beautiful.
Click on the painter's names above, to view their work. Very worth seeing. Kemper and Peg are both at the Wilder Nightingale Gallery and Dee Beard Dean is from North Carolina and the founder of Plein Air Painters of the Southeast.
Click on Sue's Blog to see her painting, get a different take on our day and even view a shot of me.

Over the River and Through the Woods to Creede, Colorado

Last week Sue McCullough and I took a painting day up to the charming mining town of Creede Colorado. Our main intent was to scope out the town, take photos and hopefully get in a painting before lunch. Built along the Willow Creek
in a high narrow canyon of the San Juans, Creede seems to literally disappear into the awesome cliffs and canyons of the mountain. On Wednesday tho', the town appeared to be shaking off the last of Winter and turning a smiling face to the sunshine.
We did paint- who could resist? It was such a beautiful day, we hardly noticed the gusty wind blowing dirt up the street. Later when I got home I realized, there was so much grit in the paint layer that I had to wipe the whole thing down;
sad, but so worth it.
Sue and I, Steven Quiller, Charlie Ewing, Kris Gosar and David Montgomery will be just a few of the painters painting the town over Memorial Day at the Taste of Creede; Saturday the 23rd, and on Sunday the 24th there will be a Quick Draw in the street in front of the Quiller Gallery at 1pm.