Been Busy Painting

Misty Morning at Ghost Lake
6 x 8 pastel on UArt sanded paper

We've been keeping busy lately, Ken with his pottery and me with my painting. I'm preparing for an upcoming show of small pastel works, less than 48 square inches, that will take place in November here in Albuquerque. The rules for entering shows are that the work must be original, not taken from photos taken by others, or copies of other works, AND it cannot be done in any kind of art class. I've taken a lot of classes, and "practiced" my painting using most of my old photos of subject matter that I thought would work in a painting. "Misty Morning at Ghost Lake" is from a photo we took many years ago in Northern Wisconsin. We stayed at a resort in a cabin just a few feet from the shore of Ghost Lake. One morning, we got up early, walked out the door and were greeted by the sun just starting to burn off the mist on the lake. The far shore was barely visible but the dock and the trees on the point were clear. We were struck by how beautiful it was!!

The photo was originally a slide, and as happens over time, slides deteriorate so we had the few that survived (of the hundreds we had taken on our travels) converted onto a CD and from there to a hard drive.

I painted this same scene in acrylics a few years ago, but when I went to look for it here, I couldn't find it so apparently it was one of the things we did not move with us to New Mexico. That's when I decided to repaint it, this time in pastels. I hope you enjoy it.

Foothills Wash
6 x 8 pastel on UArt Sanded Paper

I was telling an artist friend about my lack of skill with a camera and my inability to take good pictures to use as models for my painting. Being the generous person that she is, she offered to take me into the hills a few minutes from our home and show me what to look for when taking pictures. This location is at an"open space" park. Albuquerque has thousands of acres of open space set aside for hiking, picnicking, trail bikes, etc., all well maintained and safe if you take minimal precautions.

The first one I took was of a wash -- where the water rushes down during a rainstorm (aka a "monsoon.") This is looking south at about 9 a.m. on a warm morning. The gnats were horrendous at this location and we stayed only about a half hour. I can't believe how loud those little critters are when they are buzzing your ears!! Next time I'm bringing bug repellent!

It's amazing to me how many colors are in the high desert. In the spring, the hills and valleys are covered in wildflowers. Gourd plants grow wild, and people pick them when they are ripe and hard, and paint them for ornaments.

I'll be doing more paintings from the surrounding area. And, in response to those who have asked, I will be posting some of Ken's pottery. I took some photos today, but haven't had a chance to download them from the camera.

Till next time.....