Animas Relic

 

Animas Relic

13" x 13"
Acrylic on a Reclaimed Cabinet Door 

This old cottonwood caught my eye, nearly a skeleton with just a few leaves that’s been hanging in there along the river for who knows how long. Someday, a big wind will topple it into the river; and, if we ever have a big winter again, maybe the snowmelt will carry it away. Or perhaps as it falls, it will nestle into the river and create a sheltered pool for the river critters.

This piece is from a plein air painting session at Dallabetta Park along the Animas River in Durango. It was a glorious day, and I had a wonderful spot in the shade. It’s a really lovely place to paint. In the fall, the vegetation across the river turns to brilliant shades of yellow and gold that’s mirrored in the river, making for quite a show. 

Riverside at La Boca

 

 

Riverside at La Boca

Approximately 15" x 12"

 Acrylic on Reclaimed Cabinet Door

Late fall, one cool Saturday morning I’m traveling down a road I’ve never taken before. Carefully, I watch the odometer to be sure I don’t miss the turn off to my destination. Point four, point five, point…there it is—exactly six tenths! Clearly marked with a modest sign on wooden posts over the entrance: La Boca Ranch.

The narrow track is thickly flanked by ancient cottonwoods gleaming yellow and gold in the early morning sun. I stop to marvel at a massive tree trunk laying by the side of the road, surrounded by shattered branches, a victim of the season’s winds.

Soon I see structures in the distance, and I approach a house where a woman is standing by a car in the driveway. The house is surrounded by some of the biggest cottonwood trees I have ever seen.

 “Is this the meeting place for the plein air group?” I ask. She nods and I park. It is 28 degrees when I step out of the car. It feels even colder in the shade and I wonder whether anyone else will show up and brave the cool temps.

I learned her name is Gayle and that the ranch has belonged to her family for generations.

“There might be a nice place to paint down by the river,” she said, gesturing down the road. As we walk, she tells me about the property.

The ranch used to be a stop on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad route. The La Boca Stop had a small general store, post office, and schoolhouse that served the surrounding residents. The structures still stand and are now occupied by renters.

As we round a curve in the road, a bridge over the Los Pinos River comes into view. Now a bridge for vehicles, it originally served as a railroad bridge. Sitting near the border of Colorado and New Mexico, it was considered a major crossing for the rail line.

The original bridge was built in 1881 and refurbished in 2020 by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The Tribe owns the bridge, which provides access to a cemetery and homes on the other side of the river. The scene in this painting is just below the bridge.

It was a beautiful, interesting, and historic place to paint!