Saturday in LaVeta, Sunday in Creede

As cute Colorado towns go - Creede is right up there, high in the San Juan Mountains, set against a dramatic canyon background. Creede has been named as one of America's 100 Best Small Arts Towns and I will be painting there this weekend at the Taste of Creede Fine Arts Festival and Auction. Some of the best artists in Colorado are making Creede their Memorial Day destination for a weekend that also includes the Silver Chef Cooking Competition.
Sunday at 1pm, in front of the Steven Quiller Gallery there will be some "Quick Draw" action - which is how artists wow the crowds by painting something amazing in about and hour. The rest of us paint frantically and try to get away without getting hurt. It's a fun time for everyone and the paintings are auctioned off afterwards.
Call the Creede Chamber of Commerce at 719-658-2374 for more information and I hope to see you there.

ParTy in LaVeta Saturday Night

The LaVeta Fine Art Gallery is hosting its Spring Art Opening on Saturday, May 23rd at 5pm. in LaVeta on 210 S. Main St.
Of course, there will be food and the artists will be on hand.
I am very excited to be represented by the LaVeta Fine Art Gallery, which also represents such artists as Robert Buckner, Joan Hanley, Peggy Zehring, and Ricky Tims. The charming town of LaVeta is a great place to visit by the Scenic Train from Alamosa or go to for a day of painting.
The pieces shown here will be on display at the opening and I am looking forward to a long relationship with this wonderful gallery.

Back in Taos

Sue McCullough and I headed back to Taos on Monday morning to meet up with the Plein Air Artists of Colorado. What Taos paint out would be complete with out a morning at "the Gorge" - or some gorge, somewhere. We hit it twice; at Wild Rivers, where the Red River Gorge and the Rio Grande River Gorge meet (this young mountain goat strolled by me there) and south of Taos at a wonderful spot with gorge views in both directions; wonderful but very windy. Wednesday we went back to Arroyo Seco to paint the charming church there. I had painted it the previous week (see the vertical painting) but was happy to have another go. I have included my original sketch and the second painting, - more like what I had in mind in the first place.
It was a great couple of weeks; we could not have asked for better weather and even the locals were saying that it was most beautiful Spring in years. I agree.
Memorial Day weekend Sue and I will be at the Taste of Creede painting the town en plein air with Steven Quiller, David Montgomery, Charlie Ewing and artists from all over who make this charming town a holiday destination. Sunday at 1pm is the "Quick Draw", always a crowd pleaser, followed by an auction. Creede Colorado will be the place to be for Memorial Day.

A Fond Goodbye

While I was in Taos my little '69 Karmann Ghia went back to California on a transport - sold to a collector and Ghia/Porsche enthusiast who will love it at least as much as I did. I bought it used when I was 17 and we have traveled many miles together.
A one-painter car, and not suited to dirt road driving, or hauling art - I made a very hard choice this Spring to finally sell it; something I never thought I would do - but it was time.
I used to wonder how anyone would NOT want to drive a convertible; it was always a California car and I am happy to know that it is going back there.
In the end, I realized the multiplication of my original investment by 10 fold and was able to purchase a beautiful Toyota pick-up. I can't be too sad; still. . . .
my husband saw the Ghia put on the truck - I am glad I wasn't there.