Sketches Ink and Pastel and Photos of a wonderful day.

Gene and I went to the City of Rocks yesterday. Gene biked from a little ways down the road, about 30 miles! I drove the pickup and I stopped and sketched with my pen on the way and with my pastels at the park. I also painted a pastel painting, plein air, for a special project.

For Scavenger Hunt 99, which is based on words this Hunt instead of specific items. You can see the list and rules here on my blog.

Number 14, x-word. I don't have and x-ray or a xylophone so I substituted this railroad crossing with the x signs. Some of the artists did x-acto knives and one did a xylophone. I think you have to have young kids to have a xylophone laying around the house. Micron 05 pen in my sketchbook.

Number 15, winding. On our drive back we found this curve on the winding road. We found a better one later, but ..... Micron 05 pen in my sketchbook. I didn't finish it, we were on the way back. The background curves are trees along the river. Beautiful little valley along the Mimbres River.



Number 16, rusty. A grill at the park. Enclosing a photo so it makes sense. About 20 minutes with pastels on watercolor paper. Not intended to be a finished painting, a practice sketch.


A Micron 05 sketch of the rocks from the other direction where I sat to paint and do the sketch of the grill.

The City of Rocks from the entrance.

Some of the rocks near the edge of the city and the information center.


Here I am painting in the shade at a picnic table. When I paint plein air I try to be as comfortable as possible. Why not when you can? The park has the picnic tables scattered around the edges of the City so that you can picnic in the shade and have close access to walk and explore the rocks.



Gene relaxing while I finish up my painting and sketch a while. I also read for about 20 minutes. We left home about 10:30 a.m. and got home about 5:30 p.m. A wonderful day!