“You cannot be wimpy out there on the dream-seeking trail. Dare to break through barriers, to find your own path.”
~ Les Brown
My husband is a runner, a trail runner. He loves to cover ground, through nature, on foot. We have many friends that also run trails, and they support each other through wild, rugged terrain. I am grateful for the friendships that have formed over the miles and years.
Sometimes you gotta jump,
Just to see if you can fly
– -:miranda lambert
I love to paint the painter. This trail is a favorite to hike and paint.
After a delightful day of hiking on the ranch, I squeezed in a plein air painting. It was a beautiful evening, and a I had the great company of my old friend Brandon. The light was flat, but the air was crisp!
I did this plein air painting yesterday afternoon just before the sunset. I loved the way the light snuck through the valley and spilled out onto the river bank. It touched all of the yellow plants and turned them GOLD. Beautiful. I painted with Christ in The Desert Monastery to my back. When the bell rang for Vespers the light had changed drastically, so I packed up and slipped into the chapel to chant with the monks. What a beautiful way to end the day.
September is a wonderful time in northern New Mexico, you can feel the excitement and anticipation of the changing of the seasons. The air is quite cool in the morning and evenings, but still warm and sunny in the afternoons. The Aspens, Chamisa, and Cottonwoods are all turning gold. I spent the day hiking with a dear friend outside Santa Fe, NM. We hiked through a Quaking Aspen grove and enjoyed crisp, sunny air, and the outstanding golds and yellow. The hiker is a delightful chap named Dick, from Connecticut, that we met on the trail.
I did this demo during an art class. It is oil pastel on sanded paper. It was a student class and it was fun to work in oil pastel again. We started with a wash of oil pastel and turpentine. I learned that on sanded paper, turpentine and a brush will remove all traces of finger prints.
Fall is the reason to live in Texas. We spent a wonderful weekend camping, and much to our delight we stumbled on the Dogwood chapter of the Lone Star Dutch Oven Society. These chefs had amazing Dutch oven set-ups, and were making the most delicious smelling food. I received a crash course in Dutch oven cooking, and an invitation to join them for lunch! Camp food never tasted so good. For more information visit the Dogwood Dutch Oven Society
If you are a Dutch oven chef, I would love to hear about your favorite recipe.
paintandsimple 