paintandsimple

5″x7″ pastel on sanded paper

Aptly name the Land of enchantment.

5″x7″ pastel on sanded paper

Plein air, Ghost Ranch, NM

5″x7″ pastel on sanded paper

I can almost see Padernal with low lying clouds; however it is actually a giant dark cloud, with a warm sunset sky and tiny mountains along the horizon.

5″x7″ pastel on sanded paper

I love these New Mexico storms!

5″x7″ pastel on sanded paper

Ghost Ranch, NM

7″x5″ pastel on sanded paper

Ghost Ranch, NM

40″x8″ pastel on sanded paper

Ghost Ranch, NM – plein air

A 4 painting day is a good day. This was a good one. I set a lofty goal for my students and they ALL did it! We captured Ghost Ranch in the round.

We painted the 4 paintings over the course of the day, the only requirement was that the horizon line had to match up from one painting to the next. At the end of the day, we took them back and lined them up in the studio and tried to make it believable. That was my favorite part! It was like solving a puzzle. The sky changed so much over the course of the day, it was fun making the transitions work from one painting to the next.

7″x5″ pastel on sanded paper

Painted Plein air. Ghost Ranch, NM

10″x8″. Ghost Ranch, NM

I painted this for a friend, whose birthday is today, her laughter fills the room and my spirit.

10″x8″ pastel on sanded paper

Plein air. Ghost Ranch, NM