A dozen years ago today, at 7:01am I became a mother. I have had a very colorful life ever since! I love you Noah.
A Tree In Four Seasons
It was fun to work in a different medium and on a different scale than I normally work. I painted this mural in the Ghost Ranch dining hall, below you can see me working on it, my 3 year old playing dolls beneath the scaffolding.
Sunset 7:57
“…The skies and land are so enormous, and the detail so precise and exquisite that wherever you are you are isolated in a glowing world between the macro and the micro.”
– Ansel Adams wrote this about Ghost Ranch
This is my final Ghost Ranch sunset for the year. It has been a blessing and honor to be the artist in residence. I had hundreds of people come to my open studio and sunrise/set painting sessions. I nurtured old friendships and formed many new ones. My family had the chance to experience the wilderness this summer. We hiked and played and painted, it was a good summer.
Late Evening Rain
The monsoons have been abundant, the showers frequent and beautiful. With the rain, I have enjoyed watching the landscape turn green, the contrast between all the red and orange rocks has been striking. The rain has brought with it: cool weather, bull frog tadpoles, and mosquitos and biting flies.
Staff House Plein Air
I used the stone wall around Ghost House as a standing desk to paint this morning. The air was brisk after a wonderful storm last night.
Cottonwoods
Limited palette, quick study, historic landscape…it was a lovely morning.
Ghost House – Limited Pallette
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.
Virga Roja
In meteorology, virga is an observable streak or shaft of precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates or sublimes before reaching the ground. If you are lucky this happens at sunset and the setting sun reflects off the virga making red rain. Truly, I think I may be in the most beautiful place in the world.
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.
paintandsimple 