Fun with Sue, Sketching and Painting

Our friend, Sue Modrak, was here for a few days.  Always fun and good for my soul.  We paint and sketch, drink a latté or two, lots of art and then visiting and out to dinner with Gene.  Long days but a good time.

The first sketch was up at the Vietnam Memorial.  This is the ski run area.  The tree line just sort of stops as you get into the valley.

We painted in the back yard.  I got out the walnut oil paints for Sue so thought I would do an oil painting, too.  I did one of the trees and sunlight, wiped it off and moved to the front yard and started on a house across the way.  Wiped that off too, and just did a Bob Ross style of painting to use up the paint on my palette.  I hadn't used oils in so long.  I will try them again .... soon .... before I forget how to use them again.  It was a great time, just enjoying the quiet, watching the rabbits and chipmunks.  We have seen deer every day, too.

Sue and I went to Taos with Gene.  He had physical therapy.  He dropped us at the plaza and we sketched on Bent Street while enjoying a latté and a snack.  Such a gorgeous day.  This is in the travel multi-media sketchbook with a Prismacolor pen and watercolors.

And a photo from our table.

Selfie of the artists, painting buddies.

We had lunch at Michael's Kitchen and drove back by way of Questa and Red River.  I wanted to show Sue where we painted for the paint out.  She had hoped to make it for that.  We started at Sheeps Crossing.

This is watercolor, about 7 x 10 in the travel sketchbook in watercolor.  It was getting overworked so I just stopped.  

Sheeps Crossing is a beautiful overlook over the Rio Grande in the Wild Rivers area.  It was sunny when we started, then the clouds and wind with a sprinkle blew over and back to sunny.  Gene napped while we sketched/painted. 

Sue painting at Sheeps Crossing.  I'm scrunched under a cedar tree, I can't take the sun like that, even with a hat on.

We stopped in Red River and had a drink with Barbara and husband, Lou's (Bag Blog's) cousin.  Enjoyable out on the deck at the Bull O' the Woods.  We hoped to go in the Lost Love Saloon at the Texas Red Steakhouse but it was overflowing.

We found an aspen grove on our street and tried out some more watercolor in the same travel sketchbook.

On Friday we went back to the aspens and I got out the pastels.  This is on a Pastelbord, 8 x 10 inches.   Summer aspens are green with sort of a blueish highlight.  They can look a more yellow green with the sun behind them.  There are some photos in the previous post. 

Sue's oil painting, about 6 x 12 inches.  We were sort of back to back in the meadow.  I'm very happy with our trade!

Sue painted with oils and we traded these paintings for our "remembering the time together" keepsakes.

She sketched back at the house with inktense and ink.  The yard in real time and the deer from a photo from the previous evening. 

I played with the watercolor markers, just trying out some strokes and blending.

Sue left on Saturday flying back to Michigan from Santa Fe.  All safe and sound at home.

It was our annual visit and so much fun.  We always have fun and jump start our painting. We met Sue and Wally at a workshop in Montana in 1995 I think.  We have painted and visited either in Texas, New Mexico or Michigan almost every year since.  Wally and Gene got along great while Sue and I painted.  He passed away a few years ago.  We have great memories to share.  

The annual visit is a very good thing.  It is very quiet here now.  I'm about caught up on rest so got in some sketches for the Hunt. (previous post)

And the saga continues....