Progress This Week…

I’m enjoying my new studio and getting back to a regular painting routine. I’ve been working on a couple of 20×20″ oil paintings over the last few weeks and I do believe they are finished! For sure one of them, not completely sure on the second. lol.

“Emanate”, 20×20″ oil on canvas, available soon!

The first one finished is the second painting started. While painting the first I had an idea I wanted to try out, just not on that painting. So I started another! This is the third painting where I’ve used this idea. The idea is many streams/brushstrokes/waves of color coming out from the middle of the painting. The idea behind it is energy. The idea that energy emanates from the core of a person, from our heart center. It’s not necessarily a scientific idea, more of a spiritual thought.

I hate trying to describe my ideas with words, but I’m pushing myself to get better at doing just that. Most of my ideas come straight out of my wondering brain. Some days from meditation, some days they just pop up while I’m “in the zone” and painting.

20×20″ oil on canvas, still in progress?

Pushing myself to paint in a more abstract style makes it even more difficult to describe with words. I don’t really think Abstract work should be explained. It should evoke different feelings in different viewers. IMHO anyway. As a viewer of art, do you CARE what the artist was thinking or what their ideas were? I’m serious, these are things I wonder about! I would love to hear your opinion!

This week is my annual Summer Studio Clearance Sale. I have 40 original paintings available at 30% off. The discount has already been taken on my website. You can get another 20% off if you sign up for my email list on my website.

Summer Sale starts Friday!

One of my current 20×20″ oil paintings in progress

Now that I have my huge new studio, I’ve been able to get all of my available art out and hanging on the walls. I have over 30 original pieces that will be available in my annual Summer Studio Clearance Sale, starting THIS Friday! The sale will be exclusively on my WEBSITE. Go to the website now and sign up for my email list. Everyone on my email list gets a coupon code for an extra 20% off the already 30% discounted prices on my website, for a total discount of 50% off! I will send out reminders about the sale to my email list as well. The sale runs September 7-14th.

I’ve been working on a couple of 20 x 20″ oil paintings the past couple of weeks. I didn’t get much done on the paintings last week as I was busy moving into my new studio. I’m working on a couple of ideas that came from several of the smaller paintings I was working on over the Summer. I may end up with a series from these ideas. I love it when an idea plays out over several paintings like that! It gives me a starting point for my next painting.

Another 20×20″ oil painting in progress

I still need to order a few large canvases so I can try the ideas out on a larger scale. It’s been so long since I’ve had the space to work larger than 30×30″. I’m thinking I will start with a couple of 4 foot square canvases. Other than murals, I haven’t painted that big since I had a van! It’s very important when painting large that you have a vehicle with the capacity to carry your art. Lol. I’m currently storing a couple of my larger paintings at my mom’s house in Albuquerque, because I couldn’t fit them into my station wagon.

The plan is to get a truck by the end of the month. Living out in the country, we definitely need to have two vehicles for so many reasons. There’s the fact that we have to haul our own trash. Aaron and I are no longer working together everyday, so we need separate cars for commuting. There was that week we had to rent a car while our Subaru was having a new clutch put in. Of course, most importantly, I need to be able to transport large canvases! 😉

 

My Latest Studio

What I’m currently working on, 20×20″ abstract oil painting in progress

Friday afternoon I signed the lease for my new art studio. After 5 months of working in my home studio, there is no doubt in my mind. I need a studio outside of the house! While I LOVE our new house, I’m going stir crazy being in the house all the time. Not only that, but it’s very hard to separate work time from off time.

All that said, I’ve not had an easy time finding a studio in our new location. I wanted a studio in downtown Silver City, but it wasn’t meant to be. Recently, I dropped Aaron off at Central Elementary in Santa Clara where he teaches. As I was driving back out to the highway, I noticed a commercial building for rent on the main street. As a matter of fact, it is on the corner of the two main roads into Santa Clara. The sign said For Rent with a possibility of buying with a small down payment.

My new studio, the whole building is all mine!

Of course, I took down the number and figured I would call later. I thought about it for a week or so. Aaron and I talked about it. I really wasn’t thrilled about taking a studio outside of Silver City, but Santa Clara is closer to Mimbres and it is also closer to the schools where Aaron teaches.

I finally decided to call on the building last week and we met the owner on Thursday so we could see the inside of the building. The outside of the building has been renovated. Fortunately for me, the inside is still unfinished. I say fortunately, because that is the fact that makes the rent affordable! I have agreed to do the finish work on the inside in return for cheap rent. The other benefit being any money we put into finishing the inside will be applied to our down payment when/if we decide to buy the building. I’m pretty sure we will purchase it. I would love to stay here forever. I’ve moved my studio over 20 times in 20+ years. I’m ready to stay somewhere.

Looking in from the front door

The inside is HUGE! The one main room has 10 foot ceilings and measures 24 x 28 feet. I can paint BIG here! The framing, electrical and plumbing work has been done inside with a small bathroom, office and two storage rooms. Basically, I have to do the insulation, dry wall, flooring and install bathroom fixtures. There are also a couple of windows needed.

One of my favorite things about this building is all the empty wall space on the outside. I will definitely paint several murals in the future. I’ve now reconciled the fact that my studio will be outside of Silver City. I once promised myself I would never have a retail gallery again. This location makes that promise much easier to keep! lol! I do plan to participate in the local open studio tour and we will probably have an event or two a year, but this space will mainly be a working art studio. And storage! Lots and lots of storage!

Looking out the front door from the back

I need to go order some LARGE canvases now! Stay tuned… 🙂

The Muse has returned

Spiral abstract, 20 x 20″ oil on canvas, work in progress

Inspiration or no inspiration, when being an artist IS your day job, you must keep painting. That is exactly what I’ve been doing for the last few months. I’ve had a glimpse here or there of a bit of inspiration, but for the most part I have just painted.

Painting over another one that never went anywhere. Still a work in progress

This week it finally happened! My muse returned to me! It feels like I’m painting “in-spirit” (inspired) again. I’ve been working on several paintings, a couple 12x12s and a couple of 20x20s. I think it’s helped that I’ve spent time every morning meditating. Meditation is perfect for getting me into the right frame of mind.

“Heart on Fire 2″, 12×12” oil on canvas, work in progress

I’m working on letting go and letting my painting become more abstract and loose. It’s much more difficult than it sounds. My brain keeps wanting to put something recognizable into the painting. Hearts, flowers, spirals, anything for crying out loud!

“Heart on Fire”, 12×12″ oil on canvas, shared last week this one is now done and available for $225

I’m attempting to paint feelings. Not easy to do. Colors can bring feelings to mind. Abstract art is the perfect way to express feelings. I’m no good at putting these things into words. I hope you get it when you look at my work. Colors, textures, brush strokes, lines, all of these are expressions of feelings.

Hiking the Gila: Back to Spring Canyon

Aaron in the middle of this photo gives you an idea of the scale of the canyon, awesome!

Sunday we went back to Spring Canyon to hike further up the trail. What a gorgeous canyon, though calling it a trail is a stretch. The trail is marked on the Gila National Forest map, but there are no markings on the road to let you know it’s there. We like trails like this, because we are usually all alone hiking them. You can tell the trail was washed away years ago. There are places where you can see the trail that once was.

Looking up at the rock face from the same spot in the photo above, we still had a little way to go!

There is a lot of climbing over dead trees and bush wacking to get up the canyon to a awesome shear rock face with a stream of water running down. Next time, we will have to go without the dogs. Osa slipped several times and with her bad knee we decided it would be best to explore further without the dogs.

The water was spiraling through this bowl in the rock, I couldn’t resist the sparkling of the sun in the water!

Another reason I love these hidden gem trails? No trace of man having been there. No discarded Bud Light cans (it’s ALWAYS Bud Light) or cigarette butts. Who smokes and drinks while they hike? Seriously.

It feels like you’ve walked through a wardrobe into Narnia, a place where there is no time. It could just as easily be 1878 as it is 2018. It’s these hidden places where I feel most grounded and connected to nature. Nature in it’s most pristine state of being.

I could have spent all day photographing the multiple crevices in the stream where old logs have become part of the waterway. Ahhhh, nature!

I use photography as a source of inspiration for my art. Lately, I’m visualizing landscape still life snapshots as abstract paintings. I must have hundreds of photos like the one above. I love how nature composes these perfect little abstract works of art. Installations of logs, rock, mud, grasses and flowers, waiting for someone to come along and appreciate their unique beauty.

This area had a large forest fire burn many of the trees about 5 years ago. Even in this state they are majestic against the deep blue sky.

Places like this are what gives New Mexico it’s name the “Land of Enchantment”. I’m so grateful to Aldo Leopold for preserving the Aldo Leopold and Gila Wilderness areas for future generations. I pray it will continue to be preserved for generations to come.

Swimming in Abstract Ideas

“Heart on Fire”, 12 x 12″ oil on canvas, work in progress that may or may not be finished.

Moving to the mountains has changed everything. My frame of mind being the biggest change, which in turn changes everything around me. The quiet is the most powerful change. At first it was wonderful, then I found I could hear my ears ringing, then it was wonderful again. Every time we visit Albuquerque, about once a month, I am reminded of this difference between the city and the country. You get used to it. Even quiet isn’t totally quiet. We still have neighbors who use their saw or lawnmowers at 7am. They are just farther away. Spend a couple of nights in the city and the peaceful quiet returns.

“Be the Light”, 12 x 12″ oil on canvas, finished yesterday.

My art is changing. It’s a natural progression. Nothing is static, especially art. Now that I spend my days feeling more centered and grounded than ever before in my life, I don’t need my art to center and ground me. The mandala art served that purpose.

“The Eye Sees”, 12 x 12″ oil on canvas, work in progress

I’m still figuring out exactly what the change looks like. I’m playing, searching, experimenting. I’ve always wanted my art to be more abstract, less representational. That is the direction I FEEL I’m headed, but then I find myself out on a hike and daydreaming of painting a landscape.

“In the Valley”, 12 x 12″ oil on canvas, work in progress

Some of the abstracts I’ve been playing with feel like landscapes. Maybe the new direction is abstract landscapes? I’m going to go with the flow and see where it takes me. After almost 30 years as an artist, I’ve learned this is the best way to move forward. Art isn’t something I do consciously. Art does me. lol. You know what I mean? Art comes THROUGH me, from some higher place. My job is to get out of the way and let it flow.

Untitled abstract work in progress

People who inspire me: Alison Reynolds

“I Don’t Speak Your Name”, work in progress, 12×12″ oil on canvas

This past Saturday we went into Silver City to catch some live music. A friend of ours from Las Cruces, Alison Reynolds, was playing at the Little Toad Brewery in downtown. I’ve always loved her music, but this time we finally picked up her CDs too. She does a great live act with a loop pedal to bring in all the different parts of her songs. She plays the cello and the guitar. Yesterday, I finally got the chance to listen to her latest CD, In Times Like These, and I was blown away.

More progress on “I Don’t Speak Your Name”, still a work in progress

Every song on the album is really good, but the first song stuck in my head all day long. 3 Monkeys is about not hearing, seeing or speaking the name of a certain someone who “runs” our country. It’s a song about letting love rule. I refuse to say his name as well and the song seriously reverberated with my heart and soul. The cello is mesmerizing! The lyrics are meaningful and the tune just sticks in the head.

Untitled abstract painting in progress, this is one of the new abstracts I’ve been working on

I’ve been working/playing on moving more towards an abstract style with my art. My life has changed so profoundly since we moved to the mountains, it’s been a dream forever! Somehow, it feels like my art is ready for a change as well. I’d been having problems finding inspiration for my latest work and have been “playing” just to get the creative juices flowing.

Another abstract work in progress, this was the first one I did

Sometimes inspiration hits while I’m painting, but other times, a song, a movie, a book, or a news story will trigger my muse. This time it was Alison’s song. I asked her if I could use her song for my latest time-lapse painting and I’m so happy she said yes!

Painted over an unfinished painting for this abstract painting in progress

This abstract is pure expressionism. While I’m painting, I have Alison’s song on repeat and the brush strokes are moving with the rhythm of the music. I really have no idea what I’m doing, this is new to me, but I sure am enjoying it! It feels great to go with the flow! I hope you will enjoy it too!

Abstract work in progress

Hiking the Gila: Random Forest Roads

Meadow at the bottom of the canyon, looking towards the side canyon

We’ve passed the hidden dirt road hundreds of times. If you aren’t paying close attention, you will miss it. There is a stretch of highway 152 where the road is high up above a scary cliff. I usually avoid looking down, mainly to keep from getting car sick. I’m not afraid of heights, but that particular cliff has quite a drop to it.

Now that my car sickness is getting under control, I have to move WITH the car on the turns to avoid it, I have looked over that edge to see the amazing, deep canyon below. My first thought was, I wonder what’s down there? My second thought was, HOW do we get down there? Our next few drives by, I looked and looked, trying to find a road to take us down for exploration. That’s when I saw it, just past the stretch of road on the cliff, the hidden entrance to the dirt forest road that leads into the canyon.

Swimming hole where we soaked our feet

On Saturdays, we go down the hill to the local organic market in Mimbres. They have a small farmer’s market on Saturdays and we have started a weekly routine of stopping by the market for fruits, veggies and fresh eggs. The clerk who works the market on Saturdays is a friendly local guy and we’ve spoken with him at length about different hiking trails in the area. He told us about that hidden trail a couple of weeks ago.

Last week, we decided to check it out. The first time, it was later in the afternoon and quite hot out, we only hiked down the road about 10 minutes. The road is basically straight downhill. We turned around acknowledging that we would need to start earlier and have a full day to explore this trail.

Going into the side canyon, pools of water were everywhere! Wonderful that we’ve had so much rain!

Sunday we decided to take a longer hike to see where the steep hill lead. Another hot day, but thankfully, the Sun was in and out of the clouds. The further we went, the more the clouds covered the Sun. It was obvious that it had rained recently, as the trail was quite wet and even muddy in some places. I could not wait to get to the bottom to see where the water had flowed.

The hike down to the bottom of the canyon took about 30 minutes. We followed the trail as far as we could, back tracking several times after losing the trail. The stream bed at the bottom was not only running with water, but there were several large pools. We stopped to soak our feet and cool off in one of the larger pools of water. The water was so deep, we could have had a swim! If only I had brought the right shoes, I ended up cutting my foot on a rock because I didn’t want to get my brand new running shoes wet. I usually wear my “lake” shoes if I know there will be streams to cross.

Aaron and the dogs in the side canyon oasis

We were told the trail went on to connect with another trail we’ve already hiked but, all we found were dead ends, so we decided to turn around and try again another day. On our way back, I noticed a side canyon I hadn’t seen on the way down. We decided to follow a vague path to this side canyon and found a wonderful rock and water oasis. We didn’t follow the canyon too far down, but saved it for another day. That is the joy of living here now, we can always go back for more another day! Not to mention getting to know the locals and finding the great, hidden spots in the Gila National Forest. So much to explore, so little time! Stay tuned, or subscribe to my blog, to read/see more about our adventures!

Until next time! 🙂

 

Back to work!

Window in to the past, Gila cliff dwellings

Summer break is officially over now. Aaron went back to work yesterday. We had company visiting, so I’m starting back today. I haven’t painted on canvas since June, but I did paint the house! We spent Aaron’s Summer break working on the house and exploring our new home. We hiked many miles and found some really beautiful areas. Mountain streams, lava flows, old dead trees, and an abundance of birds and wildlife. I probably took a couple hundred photos! We are settled in now and enjoying our new home to it’s fullest. I’m grateful to be living the dream!

Dusty hiking in Spring Canyon

I keep going back and forth about keeping my studio here at home or finding a place in town (Silver City) to rent. After searching town and making a few calls, it seems there isn’t much available and what is available is a bit overpriced. For now, I’ve decided to keep my studio at home.

On the scaffolding, painting the back side of the house

With all the hiking trails in the area, I’ve decided to start blogging about our hikes on a regular basis. My goal is to blog 2 times per week. One will be about hiking the Gila and the other will be my art update for the week. Fingers crossed I can accomplish this goal! Our internet connection is spotty out here, so it will depend on how reliable it is on the days I blog.

View from atop the Black Range Crest Trail, this trail goes through a forest fire area from the Silver fire in 2013

Hiking is a walking meditation for me. There is nothing more calming or inspiring. My footsteps and breathing create a rhythm that takes me to another plane of perception. The trick is keeping that perception after the hike is over. Most of the time, it leaves as soon as I hop back in the car after a hike. My wish is to get to a point where I can keep that feeling while sitting here in my studio.

On the trail

During our hikes I have been thinking a lot about writing. Words flow to me during my hiking meditations and I would love to get this flow down into words. That is what I’m working on. As a visual artist, words can be difficult. Putting what I see into words is not an easy task.

Another view from the Black Range Crest Trail

That said, the urge to write is becoming stronger than my aversion to writing.
I don’t know that what I have to write/say is important to the world in general, but it’s important to me and perhaps someone else will get something from it too.

View from the CDT trail

Turkey Creek, Gila National Forest

Shadows play on the surface of the water

This past Sunday was mine and Aaron’s 21st wedding anniversary. We decided to pack a picnic lunch and head out to explore the Turkey Creek Hot Springs trail. Turkey Creek feeds in to the Gila River, or at least it must when there is more water. Either that, or the creek goes underground at some point. The creek bed is currently dry by the time it gets down to the river, but after a couple of creek crossings, the water was flowing quite well. Lots of deep pools for soaking feet!

It took a while, but we finally spotted the windmill that marks the trail head!

On our way out past the windmill

The road in is not for the faint of heart! It is a 14 mile drive in from Hwy 180. At about mile 8 the pavement ends and a few miles later the road starts winding it’s way up and over a tall “hill” or what some people call a mountain. The road is narrow, bumpy and there are no guardrails. We drive roads like this all the time, but this is one of the more scary roads we’ve been on. The drop offs at the top are almost straight down! 4 wheel drive or AWD with high clearance definitely recommended!

Turkey Creek, so pretty!

All that said, the scary drive is well worth the end destination! Aaron’s mom asked why we drive roads like that if they are so scary? Because the reward on the other side is SO worth it! It’s not easy to find the trail head, even with a trail book of directions. There are lots of four wheel drive roads, more like a maze of roads surrounding the Gila River. We had to park a mile or so away from the trail head. Even though we drive an AWD Subaru, the river is quite deep in some spots, so we decided crossing in the car was not a good idea.

Who knew there could be such a beautiful desert oasis hidden in these desert mountains!

Crossing the river by foot is quite refreshing at this time of the year! It was 94 degrees the day we were out there and the cool water felt lovely. After four river crossings, we wandered around a bit, looking for the trail head. There is an old private homestead with a windmill hidden in the trees. This is where the trail begins. Unfortunately for us, after making our way through the maze of roads and backtracking to finally find the trail head, we didn’t have enough time or energy to make it all the way to the hot springs. According to our trail book, the springs are another 3 miles up from the windmill. We made it up about 2 of the 3 miles.

I love these tree trunks! Sycamore trees abound in this canyon!

Now that we know where we’re going, we hope to make it all the way up to the hot springs next time. We weren’t too disappointed though, considering how hot it was! The cool water in the creek and river were refreshing and more than enough for this trek.

The rock cliffs tower hundreds of feet over the creek bed, though the trees cover most of them from view.

I’m planning on getting back to blogging twice a week. One blog will be about our latest hiking adventure and the other will be about my art. Subscribe to my blog above if you would like to be notified when I post a new blog. You may also want to go to my website and sign up for my email list to get more updates about my art and where our latest explorations have taken us!

Such a gorgeous landscape of rocks, trees and water!