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!

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Doing laundry…

12×12″ oil on canvas. One of the paintings I’ve been working on this week.

3:33pm on a Friday and I’m sitting at the laundromat washing bedding and clothes. I’ve lived without a washer and dryer before. Long, long ago when a week’s laundry consisted of 15-20 loads of mostly baby and kids clothing! Gratefully, these days, it’s only three loads because it’s time to wash the comforter. I can sit here quietly watching the washers spin without any children screaming because their brother just ran over their fingers with the rolling laundry cart they were told not to play in. Some days I miss those days, but definitely not while sitting at the laundromat!

12×12″oil on canvas. Another work in progress from this week.

It’s not hard to believe it’s already June, with the move and everything that has changed in my life over these past 6 months. We are still waiting to close on our new house but the end is getting close! I’m settling back into a painting routine and the rust is gone. My creativity has been flowing! I haven’t finished much, but I’ve been in a painting frenzy. Life is great!

Gila Cliff Dwellings

Aaron and I at the entrance of the cliff dwellings

I may have blogged about this before, but it must have been years ago! That’s how long it’s been since Aaron and I visited. I love being back in southwestern New Mexico. It’s a homecoming of sorts. Different town this time around. When I was a kid growing up in Las Cruces, we spent countless weekends and Summers camping, hiking and exploring the Gila National Forest.

Catching the first glimpse of the cave from the trail below

We brought visiting family and friends here to see the beauty of this vast wilderness. The Gila Cliff Dwellings is one of the most visited spots in the Gila. The other being the Catwalk trail near Glenwood.

The cliff face near the dwellings

When we go hiking with our dogs, we usually stick to trails without other people around. This past Sunday, we left the dogs at home. Mainly because dogs aren’t allowed at the Cliff Dwellings. They do have kennels for the dogs though, just in case!

One of the ancient rock walls of the cliff dwellings with it’s distinctive window shape

The road out to the site is a twisting, turning mountain road with no center line. Though it’s paved, it is definitely a back country road!

The hiking trail up to the cliff dwellings crosses over a small stream several times before zig zagging up the hillside to the ruins. The heat of the sun gives way to the cool of the cave as you climb the wooden ladder into the dwellings that haven’t been occupied in close to a thousand years.

Looking out into the canyon from within the cliff dwellings

It’s easy to see why the ancient ones chose this place, up high on a cliff overlooking a mountain spring. A view of the canyon, a source of water, a shelter from the weather.

Looking back as we head down the exit path.

If you ever find yourself in Silver City, New Mexico, I highly recommend you take the drive up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. You won’t be sorry you did!

Inspiring Surroundings

#7 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

It’s been a great week for art! I’ve painted every day this week! Yay! Starting to work the rust out and the ideas are flowing. My new surroundings are inspiring as hell! I look out the windows of my new studio and it still feels like a dream. It IS a dream, a living, breathing, dream! Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

#6 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I’m feeling the love, so why not paint a few hearts? I’m digging the idea and what’s coming out of it. I have seven paintings in various stages of progress. A couple may already be done, not sure yet. The hearts are the most recent.

#5 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

The photos in this post are in order from most recent to least recent.

#4 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I’m playing with the paints, trying out new things.  My goal is to play, not get attached to any outcome, just let it flow. These are sketches in paint. Idea generators. Inspiration.

#3 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I can feel my inspiration pushing me to evolve my style into something different. I guess it’s always evolving from painting to painting. This feels bigger.

#2 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I’ve already started putting more layers of paint on the canvas. Creating more depth, more mystery. Transparent layers showing a hint of what lies behind.

#1 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

More progress photos and posts to come! Thank you for visiting my blog! 🙂

 

Settling In

12 x 12″ oil on canvas, work in progress

Five weeks since we moved in to our new house in Mimbres, New Mexico. I LOVE it here! Hiking 3-4 times a week, peace and quiet, dark skies full of stars, deer walking through the yard at dusk, the amazing view from my studio, etc!

I must admit, I miss the family up in Albuquerque. Especially my sweet grandsons! We have made several trips up north and were supposed to go up again this weekend. However, our car decided she had had enough! The clutch died on me while I was in Silver City on Tuesday. We have confirmation that we NEED to have two cars living out here!

I haven’t been able to work in the studio everyday, but it’s getting closer! Earlier in the week and today I was able to get some painting time in. I’m currently working on several 12 x 12″ paintings on canvas. All are still works in progress. At this point, I’m just working out the rust after months of not painting. Just like anything, practice makes perfect and when I haven’t painted for so long, I have to get back into it again.

I’m saving  a few new 20 x 20″ canvases to paint once I get the gears moving again. I’ve never been one to wait for inspiration, I just dive in and it usually comes along at some point. That said, I prefer to save bigger canvas for solid inspiration or ideas to come.

I’m planning/hoping to get back to a regular blogging schedule in the coming weeks. It’s so nice to be back in the studio! Stay tuned!

 

 

Back to the studio, maybe?

It has been far too long since I’ve posted a blog! I’ve spent the past few months packing, moving, waiting, waiting and waiting some more! We moved into our new house at the beginning of April, we’ve been here about three weeks now. It took a couple of weeks to get our belongings out of storage, unpacked and set up at the new house. I did get one day of painting in last week, and then I got sick. Or should I say the cold I had from a couple weeks ago turned into an ear infection with complications. The infection moved into my neck and I’m feeling lousy. Taking antibiotics, so hopefully I will feel well soon.

I woke up this morning, ready to get back to work, but not quite there yet. After my morning routine of exercise, breakfast and shower, I had to lie down again. Ear/neck infection has turned into a massive migraine in the back of my neck.

Not that I’m complaining, just sharing what I’ve been up to for the past week or so.

I’m very grateful to finally be moved in to our new house! Aaron started his new teaching job today. Hopefully, I will feel well tomorrow, so I can get back to work in the studio. I absolutely love my new studio, lots of south facing light, much more space than my last studio and the view! Is. absolutely. Amazing! It’s a dream come true to be sure!

First Friday Opening Reception, THIS Friday!

My art and the art of 20 other artists has been hung at the New Mexico Cancer Center for the Gallery With A Cause show, “Movers and Shakers”. There is some really amazing art at this show! I’m so grateful to be included in such an awesome group of artists!

This Friday, March 2nd, 5:30-8:30pm is the First Friday opening reception. Located within the NM Cancer Center at 4901 Lang Ave NE, the Gallery With A Cause raises money to help lower income patients financially. 40% of every sale goes to the NM Cancer Center Foundation. Having lost family members and friends to cancer, this is an important cause to me personally as well.

“Believe”, 30×30″ oil on canvas, one of the “reworked” paintings for the NMCCG show

I have 19 pieces hanging in the show, 6 paintings on canvas, 3 guitar paintings and 10 vinyl record paintings. I hope you will join me at the reception to see the art and potentially support the cause with a purchase. There will be a People’s Choice Award, so I would really appreciate the support and your vote!

“Ecstatic”, 20×20″ oil on canvas, one of the two brand new paintings I did for the NMCCG show

There will be a “Walk and Talk” event on Wednesday, April 18th, 6-7:30pm. If you are unable to attend either of these days, the gallery is open by appointment only. Call 505-828-3791 for more information or to schedule an appointment. All events are free to attend, and your support is greatly appreciated! See you there!