Over the July 4th weekend I went to a plein air event at Mesa Verde Lavender Farm in Mancos, Colorado.
What a beautiful place! It sits on the shoulder of a ridge that (predictably) offers a view of Mesa Verde in the distance. The fields of lavender were in full bloom, perfect mounds of dense blooms in neat rows nestled between charming outbuildings. A pond, surrounded by trees and flowers provided a serene place for several of the artists to paint.
The farm is somewhat remote, a hidden gem at the end of many turns along dirt roads. It sits alongside a deep canyon, rimmed (and filled) with sage, piñon pine, grasses, rabbitbrush, and more. And that’s what drew my attention. The lavender and outbuildings were delightful, but the canyon was what I wanted to paint.
I arrived early, eager to get in as much time painting as possible before the day warmed up. I hadn’t been out plein air painting since the fall. Despite the bugs, wind, dust, and sometimes rain and snow, I LOVE getting outdoors and painting on site.
I found a great spot under a large piñon pine and began to set up my easel and paints. I hadn’t been out painting with my French easel in a while, so the set up took a bit longer than expected.
I started with a small canvas capturing the distant view of Mesa Verde. It began well but quickly things went wrong. I considered it my warm-up painting. Then I moved on to the larger canvas, which was a bit ambitious, and went to work on painting the canyon. I kept at it until I lost my shade. By then it was 90 degrees, so I called it a day. This delicate magnolia was definitely wilting 😊.
The next afternoon, the participating artists gathered to display their work at a charming little bar in Mancos. It was fun to see everyone’s work—all so very different from one another. As I was leaving, a group complemented me on my painting, saying it looked just like that canyon.
“By the way,” someone said, “do you know the name of that canyon?”
“Oh, no! I’d love to know!” I replied.
“Stinking Springs Canyon.”
Ha! Well of course that would have to be the name of this piece.
P.S. My studio show is coming up soon—October 18. You'll see this painting and many others as well! Contact me if you are interested in attending!
