New Mexico Plein Air Painters Show

It was a very crowded atmosphere at the Wilder Nightingale gallery in Taos New Mexico for the New Mexico Plein Air Panters (NMPAP) show August 1. The Show was from 5 to 8 but people weren't ready to leave yet as this pic was taken around 8:30- just too much fun!

Here is a picture of Rob Wilder Nightingale- (white shirt) talking to patrons while Kemper Coley is in the foreground.

Kemper looks like he's having a good time.

Coni Grant and Allen Heuer looking a little surprised as I whipped the camara out on them!

All in all it was a fun show - any time I go to Wilder Nightingale for a show I know there is going to be a large crowd of patrons and artists and Coni and I get to catch up with friends on the newest scoop. We didn't sign up in time to actually participate in the paintout but there is always next year and my mouse will be warmed up and ready to strike as the next year paintout may fill up as quickly as this one.

Arroyo Secco

The little church at Arroyo Secco- painted in the morning with full light - beautiful day!

The view behind the church and the white things are everyone's plein air umbrellas!

Ken Daggett from Taos showing Coni Grant his watercolor plein air method- he was right close to the road and it made me nervous!

Coni and Patrice Walker discussing plein air painting... No, plein air painters don't have matching uniforms- even though it looks like it..

Ed Sirokman- my hero! He fixed my Soltek easel when my car door smacked it and knocked off a part of my easel-- Thanks Ed!

Arroyo Hondo

This is a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows Church at Arroyo Hondo - what a cool village! We were going to paint this church at the fire station with Patrice but they were working on the fire engines and we would have been completely in the way so we sat up directly in front of the church and painted. I can see a few tweeks will need to be made with this one- but not too many...

The Taos Gorge

The fun about paintouts is going to places and learning about where the good views are that we would never find otherwise-thanks to Patrice, Kemper and Peg. Coni and I followed out little map and ended up at this beautiful spot on the country club road on the south side of Taos. It looks as if there are quite a few people that use this area for target practice but they weren't up as early as the painters. This is a 16 x 12 and was just getting finished up when Coni came by and said the wind was blowing horribly over by her view and so we packed up- heading for the Ranchos de Taos and setting out for a different view as we have painted there before. We knew the wind would be an issue so were hoping for the best.

Back from Taos

Well I'm back from the PAAC and NMPAP paintout in Taos New Mexico. I will be posting more pictures of paintings later but I am going to Denver for state track in a half hour and need to finish packing. This is a little gate in the back of the San Geronimo Inn-

Another painting from Taos Junction

9x12

After painting at Arroyo Seco in the morning, we decided to paint Taos Junction in the afternoon. We were hoping to try to find some place out of the wind that was raging and so we went to the very end of the road at Taos Junction and looked back up the canyon- I set my easel up in an antpile so they were enraged from the very get go. I tried to move it but it didn't seem to help- they were stirred up so I walked back and forth alot while painting this piece- it was interesting.

Arroyo Seco

This was the last day that I would be able to paint in Taos for the paint out and Amy Evans and Deb Robinson suggested that we paint Arroyo Seco so off we went. This was my fovorite town in the paint out- I loved it! The people were friendly and the man that used to be the priest at the Arroyo Seco Church was riding his bike and came by and talked to us. I had been very inspired by Walt Gonske's paintings at the cocktail party the night before, so I was ready to paint. Afterwards we ate at the Taos Cow - wonderful.

The John Dunn Bridge

Coni and I were up bright and early Sunday morning for the next day of the paint out and after eating a wonderful breakfast at the San Geronimo Lodge, were ready to go. We had a few problems getting there though- Arroya Hondo- doesn't stand out as easily as I thought it would and as Coni and I are always talking when we go anywhere, we missed the turnoff and ended up in Questa. Well we decided that we must have gone the wrong way as we absolutely did not see anything that looked like a small town on the way so we drove all the way back to Taos, thinking that we were supposed to turn right at the stop light. When we got back to Taos, we realized that we had no clue as to what we were doing so Coni did the smart thing and asked for directions! Well we ended up driving 10 minutes to the north again and actually watched closely this time- and there it was- Herb's Lounge and Gas Station- our landmark just as huge as anything, right along the highway. Well, everyone had started painting by then and we found a nice place. I spent alot of time fighting with my umbrella- I'm sure that the problem is with me, not the umbrella.

Taos Afternoon

9x12

On the first day of the Taos paint out on Saturday afternoon, alot of the artists met at the Overland Sheepskin Company to eat and paint this old truck. First, we decided to eat and since we really didn't feel like eating sushi, we went to Orlandos, voted the best Mexican Restaurant in Taos. I agree with the high rating - the food was fresh and delicious. We went back to Overland and I ended up painting this charming old truck. It was an interesting day-I just felt out of sorts- painting wise that is. Maybe it was because I hadn't painted outside for a couple of weeks- I really don't know but hopefully Sunday would be a new day.