Quick study in my sunset colors, I love working with a limited palette. Limitations encourage creativity and a painting based on values instead of color.
Last Light Chimney Rock
I love when my days are bracketed with the sun rise and set.
Sunrise 5:59am
Dear friends left camp just after 5am, it was a treasure to spend several weeks with them on the ranch. I had fun watching the colors unfold as I contemplated the treasure of friendship. I declared the sunset peak just before 6am.
8:35 Sunset
Last week I had a wonderful sunset walk with my daughters, and we watched in wonder and awe as the colors changed all around and up above us. Then the apricots, and pinks, and reds grayed, and finally turned from blue to dark. Our spell was broken. Miriam, my 6 year old broke the silence. She said “if I were the sun, I would do this every night.”
We are on the far side of the summer solstice now, and I am struck by how much the sunset has moved up from last week to this. Here are last night’s colors after the color works as they started to grey.
Pack’s Point 10:15am
It was cool this morning in the shade, I bet in the 60s. The light and shadows on Pack’s Point were fun to chase. I grabbed them right after 10.
Mid Morning Plein Air
I found a shady spot, with the Ghost Ranch coral practicing behind me. It wasn’t too hot, and the music the wind carried to me was lovely. What a great way to pass a Thursday morning.
On the Road to Pedernal
This is a lovely path with a view of Pedernal. The actual road to the trail that goes up Pedernal is blocked with a sign that says “do not go any farther or you may be subject to a $10,000 fine”, that forest and many others are closed due to fires. So our hikes will have to remain less epic until they reopen the forests.
Oil study en plein air
Here I am painting the painted desert near Georia O’Keefe’s house.
First Light on the Chama River
I love how the light creeps down into this canyon at dawn. Church bells for Lauds ringing as I finished.
Morning Light
I wonder if other children have to eat breakfast in the dark to fully appreciate the sun rising outside? Mine of course have known no other way, but now that summer is near, they usually miss the sunrise. As the days grow longer, there is even enough light to sneak in a painting before breakfast. This is my view from my kitchen sink.
paintandsimple 