Winter Shroud

Winter Shroud

11x14 inches

pastel on 140# w/c paper with Golden pumice ground

A companion piece, if you will, to the last painting.  I realized that I had this photo in my collection, and was drawn to it for the same reasons - golden grasses and dark, dramatic skies.  This is taken from the same location, but the view is to the southeast now, with the wind to our backs.  In the distance, San Jose peak - another small range just south of the border, receives a smattering of snow.

This reminded me that winter storms were a common theme to my photography and paintings last year while in southern AZ.   Two of the paintings can be seen here and here.  

The paper for this gave me some fits with blending; I am guessing it didn't contain a thick enough layer of the pumice ground to allow for the layering I needed, particularly at the top.  It also made trying to accurately depict a mountain partially shrouded in cloud and snow even more difficult.  

Now, I'm off to contemplate the next subject to paint.  I have so many ideas bouncing through my head and often when that happens, it takes longer to figure out what to actually focus on.

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Monday's sunset:

27mm

65mm

Bisbee: A Retrospective

I never cease to be amazed how quickly time flies.  For one thing, it's been too long since my last blog post, and I'm hoping to remedy that now that things have somewhat settled, at least for the next few weeks.  Between dealing with some time-wasting personal issues, I also had to spend time packing for my Bisbee departure and helping my mom before/during/after her surgery.  Limited computer/internet access then became the main issue.

Thanks to the wonderful services of the Pima Co. public library here in Cortaro and their free WiFi, I am all set to resume postings to my blog.  The upside of my lack of computer and internet time is that I've been spending lots of time and collecting new material.

This post is about a week later than I had intended, but I still wanted to post it anyway.

My winter spent in Bisbee was really a positive and memorable experience for me, and I was sad to leave.  I tried to experience as much of the essence and energy of the town as I could, and was pleased to have made some lasting friendships along the way.  My experience working as an innkeeper was "interesting", but it did keep me busy for a few months, which was good.

I took many photos of the area during my stay, most of which were not urban-based.  However, Bisbee is a very attractive and charming town, and I offer here a sampling of images of the town.  At some point, I'll post the rest to the Bisbee album in my Picasa gallery, which I started last year when I was out.

Snow in Bisbee

Residual snowclouds are seen to the west in this view taken from Castle Rock sometime in December.  Snow is already melted off of the south-facing slopes of the Mules.

Abandoned 

One of the many abandoned silver or copper mine shafts seen on the side of the hills surrounding Bisbee.

This one is located along an un-named trail I called the "traverse trail" as it traverses the side of the hills on the north side of the town.

A View of Main Street

Taken in the morning, this shows the architecture of the buildings, all of which are original but either maintained or restored since the town was built in 1880.

"The Iron Man"

Bisbee's tribute to the "virile" [actual word on the plaque] men who worked the mines in Bisbee.  This sculpture made me laugh every time I walked by it.  It's located on Tombstone Cyn Rd, the main road through Old Bisbee and about 1/4 mile down from The Jonquil.

A View of Old Bisbee

Taken from Hwy 80, that circumvents the main town to the south, the canyon and hillside layout of the town can be seen.  

"B" on the Mountain

Typical of many towns and cities in the west, Bisbee also has its initial on the hillside.  The view is to the  northeast and shows part of the area known as "Brewery Gulch".  Terraced areas are sites of previous homes that did not withstand the tests of time.

Staircase with Ivy.

No description of Bisbee would be complete without showing at least one of the dozens of concrete staircases that are scattered throughout the hillsides.  Many are public; some lead to private residences and many lead to nothing at all anymore.  This particular staircase is adjacent to the City Hall building and leads past some homes to a public park on the south side of town.

"Perfection Bread"

One of Bisbee's many wall murals, this one is clearly old and is maybe 100 meters up Tombstone Cyn. Rd. from the Jonquil.

Sunrise and Morning Mountain Light

Last Tuesday morning, I got up before sunrise, looked outside and saw potential in the sky, and headed out with my gear.  Thus far, all the sunrise photos I've taken have been snapshots taken from the courtyard of the hotel, sometimes taken while I'm wearing slippers and PJ's.  Those will make useful reference material for paintings.  But, getting the "bigger picture", as it were, required a drive. 

I'd previously cased out the top of a residential hillside in neighboring Warren, so I went there first.  That provided me with a few beautiful sky photos before the light changed.  I decided to continue down the road south towards the airport.  By that time, the potential for sunrise sky photos was well over, but I thought I'd probably get some good morning shadows across the Mules, Hauchucas and the Naco mountain, and I was right.

Normally, I keep PPP (post-production processing) to a minimum in PS Elements.  I adjust levels and occasionally apply filters to bring the photo colors and saturation back as close as I can to what I witnessed live at the location.  I also have to remove artifacts that show up from my camera sensor.  And, I sometimes crop the image to improve the composition.  In two of the photos, however, I found that there were some distracting elements that I simply could not get around having in the photos:  telephone lines and wires.  And a few stray branches from foreground mesquite shrubs.  So, for the sake of aesthetics, those have been removed. 

Sunrise from Warren

These altocumulus clouds take on a rosy pink glow from the rising sun.  Distal hills and ocotillo canes add ground contrast.

Morning Colors

This wide-angle shot shows the oranges and yellows from the distal cirrus clouds catching the morning glow of the sun

Mule Mountain Morning

The shadows cast on the Mules form a series of abstract shapes, while the warm orange from the desert shrubs contrasts with the muted greys of the sky.

Early Morning in Naco

The mountain behind Naco offers some more complex shadows from the Mules to the north, including those from the snow along its north face.

Huachucas in a Different Light

Normally seen in silhouette form in late afternoon or sunset photos I've taken, the Huachucas show off their eastern face in the morning sun.  The dark clouds (altostratus) change the mood of this image.

Bisbee Hillside - pastel

In my last blog post, I mentioned that I solicited my sister's help in deciding which photo to use for my next painting.  Yesterday, I decided to experiment a bit with some hard pastel sticks I purchased a couple of months ago.  A few days ago, in the early morning, I noticed the most beautiful clouds forming in the sky in the backyard of the hotel.  I grabbed my camera and took some photos, knowing how fleeting both the morning light and cloud forms can be. 

One of the photos became the subject for my next painting, and I enjoyed using the hard pastels on a smaller format.  I'm already working on my next painting - a sunset cloudscape - which I hope to have finished either tonight or tomorrow.

"Hillside Morning" - 5x7

pastel on 400-grit black sanded paper

Interiors of a Hotel - photo series

Inspiration comes to us in many forms and sometimes from unexpected sources.  For myself, it's most frequently in the form of the landscape, open spaces,  intriguing or beautiful things in nature, such as flowers, rather than the interiors of buildings.  In general, my expectation when I walk into a building is pretty low, and is of a functional rather than aesthetic nature:  to purchase items, receive services, perform work, or call a living space.

In my first blog post after arriving in Bisbee, I mentioned that I have a part-time innkeeping job at the Letson Loft Hotel.  It is classified as a "boutique hotel" - a place that places a high emphasis on the experience of staying at the hotel, vs. "just a place to stay for the night".   When you enter the Letson, you immediately know that it is a special place - the original building is 130 years old, but has been impeccably remodeled and decorated by the current owners, while maintaining its old Victorian-styled charm.  It has 8 rooms - all different, and all beautiful, that are outfitted in premium-quality linens and lovely furniture.  My duties as an innkeeper include showing guests around the property, and of course, the features of their particular room.  Guests love staying here, and I did not have to work here very long to see why. 

One day, when the rooms were open and I had a few spare moments between my duties here, I brought my camera and tripod along and decided to capture what I felt were some of the unique features of several of the rooms.  Below is a select group of photos that I feel helps to show the essence of what the Letson Loft is about:  interiors that celebrate the marriage of physical comfort with aesthetics, and provide an inviting and memorable experience for guests...and a most unexpected source of inspiration for me!

Reading Light

Like to read in bed?  This bedside lamp, plush down pillows and luxurious linens in room 4 invite you to curl up and enjoy a good book after a day out on the town.

Light from Above

Late morning sun from a skylight brightens this section of an antique-styled sitting couch in room 5.

A Pair of Hearts

This ornate headboard and piles of pillows on this king-sized bed in room 5 entice you spend the day in bed without guilt.  It is perfect for a romantic getaway weekend.

Sit and Reflect

This comfy couch, torchier lamp and beautiful mirror are just part of the furnishings in the seperate sitting area of room 7.

Nourishment

The kitchenette in room 8 is perfect for guests who enjoy cooking wherever they travel.

Crimson Paisley Pillow

This chair, and its fancy pillow and matching curtin, are also found in room 8

It's All in the Details

The beautiful finish and hardware detail on this vintage-styled cabinet in room 8, is where the flat screen TV sits.

Light and Shadows

Light from the north-facing bay window falls on this wooden headboard, found in room 1, allowing its intricate carved detail to be fully appreciated.

A Room With a View

A bay window in room 2 overlooks Main St. (along with rooms 1, 3 and 4), allowing a northerly view of the shops, hillside, and sky.  For the sake of this photo, I purposly metered for the interior here to provide a silhouette and to keep the outside view from competing with the interior.

Celebrating the skies of AZ

I'm back!  "Back" in this case refers both to resuming blog posts and my return to the place I consider "home":  Arizona.  Stepping off the plane in Phoenix last Friday evening and seeing the fading  sunset casing a warm glow over thes sandstone rocks near Sky Harbor, I immediately felt a sense of relief, contentment and just plain joy at being away from the grey skies and bleak winter landscape of New England.  I will be spending the winter and possibly more of the next year in Bisbee.  I am exited to be doing part-time innkeeping at the beautifully restored Letson Loft Hotel in downtown Bisbee.  Bisbee is a small mining town located in the southeastern part of the state.  It is listed as one of the top 100 small town art communities in the country and is hugely popular as a tourist destination, often showing up on recommended small towns in the US to visit lists.

I promptly came down with a cold after coming to town, and combined with the resulting poor sleep, beginning work at the hotel, getting unpacked and settled in, and computer/internet access issues, I was unable to do anything art-related until today.  Today was gorgeous - bright, sunny skies and mild temperatures.  Some scattered cumulus clouds began gathering in the afternoon, presenting an excellent opportunity for some sunset photos.  Having lived and spent time in many parts of the country, I have yet to see skies or sunsets that can compare to those of the west and southwest.

Here are a handful of the photos from Friday evening's photoshoot (and two sunrise photos taken in Tucson last Saturday) that I hope will give a sense of the beautiful skies here in AZ:

First Light

Swirling cirrus clouds reflect the warm light of the rising desert sun

Sunrise Silhouette

The forms of the Sonoran desert provide a dramatic contrast against the pastel palette of the morning sky

Sunset over Tombstone Canyon

Taken from a vantage point over the Bisbee tunnel along Hwy 80

East towards Bisbee

A waxing moon and clouds over the distant mountains along Hwy 92

Sierra Vista bound

This shot was taken using a shutter speed of 6 seconds with tripod mount and shutter delay to capture the tailights of a car heading along Hwy 92

Fading sky with passers-by

The streaks of passing cars catch the colors of the final light of the setting sun to the southwest.