Painting iconic landscapes of northern New Mexico

Back from my trip to Taos.  The monsoon season is in full swing in the southwest, including the Taos area, and that dictated the amount of painting I was able to do.

The rain is a much-needed blessing for the forests and ranch lands of the region, but I cannot say I enjoy driving over mountain passes in the middle of a thunderstorm like I did on Thursday!

That being said, I was happy that I was able to complete two paintings, and start on a third that I'll probably finish up in the studio.

The two paintings here are subjects I've long been wanting to paint.   They've been on my "bucket list", as it were, to paint.  I can't really say why, other than I've seen them rendered in a variety of styles and media, by various artists, and they instantly had appeal to me on that artistic level.

First off is the Taos Gorge.  I believe I'd mentioned wanting to paint it during my March visit, but the wind made that prohibitive.

Morning At Taos Gorge - 8x16",  plein air
pastel on board with Golden pumice ground and black acrylic
© S.Johnson

It was my first priority, so I headed out Friday morning to get a jump before the monsoon clouds filled the sky.  For those visiting the area, the Taos Gorge is located about 6 miles south of town along Hwy 68.  There's a pull-off and picnic area that gives the best views, and a local artist - Kemper Coley - was painting there when I arrived.  It's always a treat to meet other artists while traveling, particularly while painting!

My plan for my drive back today, weather permitting, was to do another painting en route.  I took the longer southern route that goes up along the lower part of the Taos gorge, through several small communities and along the Chama river as it passes through Abiquiu, by Ghost Ranch, and of course, Pedernal - the narrow mesa/flat topped mountain made famous by Georgia O'Keeffe.

Storm Over Pedernal - 12x12", plein air
 pastel on black cardstock

A huge storm was forming over the mountains adjacent to Pedernal, so I worked really fast on this painting.  This was right along the highway about 5 miles south of Ghost Ranch and right near Lake Abiquiu.  I was immediately drawn to the uncluttered orange grass/earth foreground this view offered.

Thankfully, I was more or less finished by the time the wind started to get bad enough to potentially blow my easel over.

Both the gorge and Pedernal were as enjoyable to paint as I thought they would be, and I do hope to revisit both as painting subjects during future trips!

Plein Air in Taos, NM - adobe architecture in pastel

A brief intermission from the road trip series for a recap of a trip to Taos...

Taos Adobe Shadows #1 - plein air
12x12 - pastel on black cardstock
© 2012, S.Johnson

This past Sunday, I took advantage of some mild weather and headed down to Taos, NM, to visit my sister.  She moved there last Sept, and this is the first chance I've had to go back since our first trip last June.

With temperatures predicted to be in the high 50's to maybe low 60's, I was excited to do some plein air paintings while down there, and more specifically, some of the architecture - the very distinctive adobe-styled homes Taos is famous for.   Turns out, I didn't need to go far:  the front yard of my sister's house for #1, painted Monday morning.

What really grabbed my eye, aside from the use of bright colors for the trim on these homes, is the way cast shadows look on the adobe facade.  They form these intricate abstract patterns from tall cottonwood trees, unseen.  They also are a challenge to paint, and I think I'd need to paint them on a daily basis for a few weeks to get to the point where I felt competent painting them.  Hopefully, you get the idea, though.

Taos Adobe Shadows #2 - plein air
12x12" - pastel on black cardstock
© 2012, S.Johnson

For #2, I went in the backyard and painted the rear of the neighbor's house yesterday (Thursday) morning.  In fact, you can see part of it in the first painting there on the right.  The shadows change so quickly, so it's important to focus on them once you begin that area of the painting.

My plan, in addition to these architecture paintings, was to head south of town and paint the iconic Taos Gorge on Wednesday.  I was really excited about this, and planned it for the afternoon when it was nice and warm and the light would be better.  However, what I didn't anticipate was the forecast for strong wind gusts that afternoon...the bane of every plein air painter, and cause for ruin for many of my paint-outs.

The wind was so strong along the foothill slope overlooking the gorge that it flung my car door open as soon as I opened it.  Add to that the light-killing altostratus cloud layer spreading throughout the sky, and it was a disappointing bust.

So, instead - here are a few photos from that day:

Late winter grazing in Arroyo Hondo

Taos Gorge...I'll be back!

Mothership cloud over the mountains of Taos
Lenticular clouds, such as this cumulus variety, form from high winds, usually as they pass over mountains, whipping the edges of the cloud into otherworldly shapes

Mission Church at Rancho de Taos

Mission Church of Taos

9x12

oil on board

The adobe mission church made famous by Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe, among others, is an iconic symbol of New Mexico and Spanish-influenced architecture throughout the region.  Regardless of how many times I've seen this church in photos and paintings, I just dig it.   The simple, abstract forms just appeal to me, and adobe/hacienda style architecture is my favorite.

So, of course, I had to do my version.  I debated about going with a colorful palette (orange and purple, perhaps), but opted to go with local colors and a limited palette of burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow, yellow ochre and white.  

Originally, I'd hoped to do an on-location painting of the church in pastel.  However, we discovered the dirt parking area was full and there were ladders, wheelbarrows, and a large scaffold in front of the church, indicating some construction work was happening.

It turns out that each year at this time (first two weeks of June), the San Francisco de Asis church (its formal name) gets repaired, restored and otherwise fixed up.  We spoke with one of the gentlemen helping with the construction, and he told us it is an all volunteer operation, with people coming in from around the country.  

The church facade is constructed with the simplest and oldest building material in the region:  adobe - formed from local dirt strained of rocks, water and dry straw as a binding agent.  That's it.  Unfortunately, it isn't particularly durable, and parts wash away each year from the winter and summer rains, necessitating the annual repair work.  

If neglected, this is what happens in pretty short order:  

old adobe building in the Rancho de Taos plaza, right next to the church

Here's the entrance to the front of the church, showing freshly applied adobe and the wheelbarrow full of the adobe mortar:

According to one of the shop owners in the plaza, the Rancho de Taos plaza, which is about 6 miles south of the main downtown area of Taos, is older than the historic district buildings in Taos proper.  

Some colorful peonies blooming in front of the plaza shops:

If you are visiting Taos, definitely make a trip to see the San Francisco de Asis mission church.  And if you don't come during peak tourist season or the first two weeks of June, there will probably be plenty of parking and ample opportunity to paint it on location, or at least take some better photographs.