Three Plein Air Landscape Paintings

I have not been painting much here in Angel Fire.  Luckily I ran into Joan Bohls and she suggested we do some plein air painting together.  We went on Wednesday and Friday and I got three paintings done.  Great, eh?

On Wednesday we went to Monte Verde Lake and set up our easels in the shade of some pine trees by the shore.  Great place as I even had a picnic table to put my pastels on and a place to sit and take a break.  As we finished up it started to sprinkle and there was lightening.  The attendant lady at the office came out in a golf cart to get all the fishermen and artists to leave to be safe.  I got a few sprinkles on the pastel so had to touch it up at home.

I worked on Richeson pastel board which has a very rough surface.  The painting looks better in person than in the photos.  In real life you don't see the "holes" as much.  I used this same surface for a painting of the Kelly Church.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.  It does keep you from doing any detail.  It certainly wouldn't be good for detailed portraits.

My painting in progress.

Having fun, notice we have on sweatshirts, the breeze was cool.

Me painting and the scene.

Joan painting with oils.

Joan again.

The scene as we started.

Notice how the reflections changed and the water had more movement after thirty minutes or so.  That is why you have to put down your idea and values quickly and then paint on the highlights and details

Scene and clouds from the Community Center.

We painted in the morning starting about 9:30 a.m.  Later that evening Joan, Kent, Gene and I went to dinner and then to the Community Center to hear three classical guitar players.  It was an excellent day.

I borrowed this description of the guitar players from Gene, who got it from the newspaper:

Daniel Weston, Master of Music in guitar performance, is known for serenading the imagination with over six hundred professional appearances from radio and television to the concert stage. A direct heir by mentor ship to Francisco Tarrega, the founder of classical guitar method, Weston will perform the Impressionistic masterpieces of Tarrega as well as his own compositions.

Stuart Green heads the guitar programs at both the University of Redlands and California State University, San Bernardino in addition to being an active concert and recording artist. Green mentored with the late Terry Graves, a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Falla Guitar Trio, and also studied with Dusan Bogdanovic, Juan Serrano and Christopher Parkening. He received high praise from Soundboard Magazine. National Public Radio aired a CD featuring his transcription for guitar and recording of a set of suites by French Baroque master Robert De Visee. He played music written by a Spanish composer who composed his music in 1546, I did not get the composer's name. According to Green his was the first music to be printed by the newly invented printing press in the 1500's.

Roberto Capocchi, Brazilian native and Santa Fe favorite, has been portrayed as an extremely expressive player and true master. Capocchi won top prizes in numerous international guitar competitions, and studied performance and theory for his doctorate. He teaches at Adams State College, New Mexico Highlands University and United World College. He will be playing 20th century music from Spain and Latin America, including selections from his most recent CD.


Then on Friday we went and painted at the golf course.  Another nice place to paint as we were on the patio of the clubhouse so had tables, chairs and a latte.  Can't beat that when you are roughing it for plein air work!

Joan getting ready and my easel with the aspen painting on it.

Joan's painting of the Wheeler Peak.

The aspens I painted.

It was a nice day, well couple of painting days.  I put my paintings on my Jo's Notions page on my website.  I sell small unframed paintings there with free shipping in the States.

From Wednesday:

Monte Verde Lake, pastel, 12 x 9 inches, Richeson board

The first painting on Friday:

Summer Aspens, 13 x 9 inches, pastel on Colourfix paper.

The second painting on Friday:

Wheeler Peak, pastel, 13 x 8 inches, on Colourfix paper.