Last night I painted plein air near the cabin from the movie ” City Slickers”. The kaliedescope-light show was spectacular last night, 360 degrees of beauty changing every 5 minutes. I paint fast, but not fast enough. I finally folded up my easel and let the changing light mesmerize me. It felt good to have my bike panders loaded with painting supplies, and a couple finished paintings, and ride off into the sunset.
Same Mesa, really no question which is my medium.
I love the way this Mesa glows just before the sun sets.
“Ghost House” is a beautiful old adobe built around 1880, rich with stories, many of them ghost stories. Cattle thieves, local legend, and Georgia O’Keefe…if only the old adobe walls could talk.
Wet paint. 10″x8″ oil on panel
In northern New Mexico, down a 17 mile dirt driveway, at the end of a canyon sits a very special place where 40 monks keep the hours and pray the psalms. That place is called Monastery of Christ in the Desert.
Here is Father John tending the hops, collected from local canyons, grown to make Monk’s Wit
Ale. Benedictine monks have been mixing a life of prayer, work, and study for the last 1500 years. I like to think it is a bit like traveling back in time when I visit this monastery. It is a contemplative monastery, and they respect a rule of silence. Deep in the desert, and off the grid, there no road noise, or buzzing of machines. I expected the silence to be oppressive, but I experienced it as a true gift. The quiet makes it easier to quiet one’s mind, and it makes their chanting that much more beautiful.
When I showed this painting to Father John he quoted John 15: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
So I post this painting today to remember these brothers, especially today on St. Benedict’s feast day.
Rooster white. Farm beautiful.
I love to look out over this alfalfa field, and watch the clouds roll in, bringing the cool wind with it.
This an artist friend of mine named Tom. I got to spend a week in the work shop with him taking a class called fantasy bird house building. It reminded me of being with Santa during July, and it wasn’t just the white beard and jovial disposition. First he had us sketch out our houses, and then with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye he would brainstorm on how to make our dreams come true. My bird house was a beautiful church with not one, but two stained glass windows, lots of elaborate iron work, a copper roof, and he let me build much of it with a baby on my hip. What a great week, my 7 year old learned to use a drill press, and my dream house became a reality.
The days are so hot and bright. I love the way an afternoon storm is like a sigh of relief.
paintandsimple 