Abiquiu, New Mexico: inspiring territory

Basin & Mesas pastel 17" x 26"

New Mexico is a beautiful state. On the road north of Santa Fe I found the the geography of red earth and green of basin & mesa a wealth of inspiration for the mind and soul.

Back with a brush

I met Roger Lehman at the local Starbuck's. Roger brings his dog Max with him most mornings and as Roger sits on the patio and reads, Max lies by his feet and watches the comings and goings with Sphinx-like attention, both regal and sweet.

Roger saw some of my artwork about a year ago and introduced himself one morning. I learned that he not only enjoys looking at art, but enjoys 'pushing the paint around' for pleasure, too. He had expressed an interest in watching me paint in acrylics and so after several months away from the medium, this morning I prepared to do that again and invited Roger to come watch.

My springboard for this painting was a sky I remembered seeing outside of Oklahoma City a couple decades ago, a sky that hinted at a storm brewing far away. Anticipation was in the air that day and I took that feeling and memory and dreamed up a California's experience that would compliment it, forming--it was my hope--a compelling composite scene. Using a #10 oxhair filbert brush, I began mixing and applying paint. Here is what the painting looked like when Roger and I broke for lunch.