The Monte Vista Potato Festival

Bunny Boy
Most boys want a monster or some kind of super hero but this little guy opted for a bunny.

Well, this Saturday was the Monte Vista Potato Festival and quite seriously I was kind of dreading it.  Sharon McCoy and I are the Festival Chairpersons for these small events and even though it is not a whole incredible amount of work, it is kind of like lining up a garage sale. Get the starting money for the event,  make the signs, bring the receipt book (which i always forget), tables, chairs, tents, merchandise; well you get the idea. Sharon and I decided we would do the face painting for the booth this time as we wanted to donate all of the poceeds to MAC (Monte Arts Council).

Well, I only had face painted once this summer- (a leg actually) at the fiber arts festival and I really didn't enjoy it that much. Maybe I used the wrong brush or MAYBE it was that fact that I really didn't know what I was doing.  So, I planned on Sharon painting most of the faces and I would help if she got too busy.
She did get a rush and I had to step in- a little tough since we only had one face painting book between the two of us....

There he goes!

But, something happened- I really enjoyed it- REALLY! The children are adorable and the looks on their faces after being painted is priceless. And we made alot of money for MAC to boot!

This little guy was tuckered out after playing so hard at the festival. He just collapsed with his ball as a pillow in the park. We also helped with the potato decorating contest- wow - we have a lot of aspiring artists in the San Luis Valley! The event was well run and attended- kudos to all of the folks that made this event so successful!

Speaking of art I have posted this painting on the Daily Paintworks Webpage.  It is a 6x8 and sells for $125.00. It is a painting of Flat Top Mountain looking towards the south from my house.

Cloud Reflections

5x7

This small 5x7 was painted on the Rio Grande River during a pretty cloudy day--I did this small painting keeping the cloud reflections as the focus for the painting- 

This painting was completed on illustration board-a nice surface to paint on..

A Painting from the Ranch

This was painted about a month ago- I thought I would drive over to the ranch and test the mosquito quotient to see if there would be any more painting there for awhile.  They were swarming but I was ready with a t-shirt on and a long shirt over that with long pants and mosquito spray.

They were everywhere and while painting, I looked down and there was approx. 20 to 30 landed on the front of my shirt- a little unnerving I would say.  Well, I haven't been back but I'm thinking in a couple of weeks it might just be bearable and I will have to do the mosquito test again.

More paintings from the Zapata Ranch

This was painted around noon because I remember that Coni and i were trying to figure out whether to eat and then paint or paint first.  As the clouds were moving in fast we decided to paint first which was the better decision.  This is a view of the dunes- they seemed to glow with the dark mountains behind them.

Later, after supper, we painted toward the west from the ranch- this was quite difficult as we lost our light very quickly.  It was a long day and I kept waking up every morning at about 4:00 and looking at the moon thinking- I really should paint that beautiful moon over the trees...  I just never did.

View of Flattop from my Window

6x8

It was quite windy last evening and I was planning on painting outside somewhere, but I wimped out-- I did this small painting from my window-- I painted the flat topped mountain that is by La Jara; it's amazing that I can see it from my house.

Remember the paint out at the Gilmore Ranch on Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm. The public is invited and it should be a fun day!

More Colorado Mountain Plein Air photos

The next day I drove to Salida and was invited to stay the night at Salley Mather's house. I met Sally down at the Steam Plant along the Arkansas River and she was set up and painting when I arrived. I looked around for awhile and settled on this nice little spot-- I am amazed at the pure zest that people in Salida have for their dogs.. I have never seen so many dog walkers in my life- and they all love their dogs dearly.I painted this along one of the dog walking trails- and there was always someone standing on the bridge. I pick this chap and sketched him in quickly.

Sally and I painted this scene from her house in the afternoon- clouds are kind of like trying to paint people and animals- always moving- just a little slower....This photo is darker than the actual painting as I can see some details are lost- my apologies.... later...

9x12

I sit and wonder- how soon will I have before the rain hits- the clouds are moving this way but I sniff the air-" no smell of rain yet" and keep on painting. Mount Blanca is shrouded by a large ominous cloud; rain is falling there. I paint and ponder, "why do I feel as if I live in two different worlds?" and "Why is it so hard to pass back and forth between them?"

I was talking to Coni about the huge letdown that happens after coming home from a paint out. Is it exhaustion? I sincerely doubt it, because paint outs are tiring but also exhilarating at the same time. I think that it it's more the fact that trying to pass back into the role of mom, dad, or another job is difficult business.

I look at the harvested barley fields. There is something about that light ochre that entices me to paint it over and over again. I hurry to beat the rain.

Cloudscapes

After Coni and I got back from Taos And after talking to Kemper about paint application, I did this painting for fun- the pic above is a closeup of the painting below. I piled it on quite thick and truly liked this approach to clouds- my clouds have always been so wimpy from too thin of an application of paint. Not this time!