Road to the River

Road to the River
Pastel on sanded paper, mounted to foam core
9 x 12 unframed
$325

Here we are, on one of the dirt roads leading down to the Missouri River south of St. Louis. The soil here is generally clay, dusty on the surface and hard as rock underneath, and often with a reddish tint. This scene is typical of a summer day, possibly August, when it is hot and humid and the air sings with the sounds of insects and birds. Not much breeze blowing this late afternoon, with the sun heading down toward the bluffs on the other side of the river. Doesn't it almost make you want to go down this road to the edge of the river and get your feet into the cool water? Or maybe pull out your fishing pole and see if they are biting, while you sit in the shade of the trees that line the bank?

SANDIA ROCKS

Sandia Rocks
9 x 12 Pastel on sanded paper mounted on museum board
$325 unframed

Painting rocks has always been a challenge for me but there are so many wonderful rocky landscapes here in New Mexico, that it was a challenge simply begging to be overcome. So, last fall when my daughter was visiting, we took a walk in the foothills and I took several photos of rocks of all shapes and sizes. This particular painting depicts and emphasizes the intense light of early afternoon, bouncing off the sandy ground and the rocks and shrubs, hence the lack of strong, lengthy shadows. This is looking north from a trail on the west side of the Sandia Mountains.