Pilar Again

I was back in Taos again last week.  Coni needed to take some paintings to the Wilder Nightingale Gallery and we met up with the High Desert Painters who were in Taos for the week to paint the lovely spring in Taos and the surounding areas.

The girls called us on the way en route and left us a message that they wanted to paint in Pilar.  We had just passed the Pilar turnoff that winds through Taos Junction and so we decided to try it. I had never gone that way so it was nice seeing where that road from Taos Junction actually went.

About the painting- I had painted from this exact spot a week earlier- (the cute little red and white church) and really wasn't into painting the church again so I painted this little house looking toward the eastern part of Pilar. This was the perfect time to paint this house as the trees were the perfect spring green - just budding out and it was a view that didn't need any changing or rearranging- I could paint it exactly the way it looked. New Mexico is so inspiring this time of year.

We went to Peg Immel's house and bugged her- she was working hard on a retablo until we showed up- she is such a wonderful hostess and never acts like we are imposing on her - hopefully she will get it done.

Day 2 Taos paintout- Pilar

Pilar Church
11x14

The next day, Thursday, we had decided to paint Pilar.  Last year we had tried and got caught up in a terrible storm and weren't able to finish so, the Pilar water tower was the first item on our agenda.  This beautiful little church can be painted any time of the day, but I have decided that it is best in the morning.  The weather is usually better and when you are painting on top of a mountain, that is important.  The four of us painted, Coni and I painted the Church, Peg Immel painting a cool little house to the east which was a beautiful view and Carla Forrest painted a little 4 inch painting of the view to the west of the church.

River by Pilar
12x16

We ate our lunch on top of the mountain and then decided to paint by the river.  This painting was done right next to the road, above the river, on an overlook.  Peg sure knows this area very well and was very generous to share such a beautiful spot. Later that night we painted on Le Doux Street - we worked on a noctourne.  Mine was a total failure but I learned plenty that night so it definitely wasn't a waste by any means.  Tomorrow- day 3 of the PAAC Taos pain out.

Pilar Afternoon

This is a view of the small church at Pilar from the water tower.  We started painting this view in the afternoon during the PAAC paint out and then a huge storm came up and blew us out of there- (Coni, David, and I).  So I just finished this using a photograph - I honestly wish that I could have finished this on the spot-- it's just a little too tight and studied. Maybe I had too much time to work on it? Maybe...