Highwater Channel

 

Highwater Channel
12” x 13”
Acrylic on a Reclaimed Cabinet Door

La Plata Canyon is beautiful almost any time of the year, and this day was no exception. Three weeks before, I had been there for a “paint out” when the warm weather persuaded me to find a shady spot to paint.

This time, I brought a friend with me. I had told her about this great location I’d found with plenty of subject matter to paint. My plan was to set up my gear right next to the La Plata River. We arrived early that morning; it was cool, with a hint of fall. But to our surprise, the river was completely dry!

Just west of the main (dry) watercourse was an anabranch where water runs when snowmelt swells the river beyond its usual path. It was cobble filled, winding its way between hummocks, and dotted with dead trees and debris. The trees on the ridge to the southeast were just beginning to be lit by the sun and a band of sunlight found its way between ridges to light the valley. 

Another wonderful day outside, painting with a friend. 

Along Shanna's Pond

 

"Along Shanna's Pond"
 11" x 14"
Acrylic on Canvas 

"As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see." - Vincent van Gogh

Early fall—when the weather finally cools—is my favorite time of year. The grasses have turned to a golden straw, and the shrubs and trees begin to say goodbye to green and transform to the rich colors of fall. The rabbit brush is ubiquitous this year; the brilliant umbels of yellow flowers signaling the season’s change, while giving pollinators a last hurrah before winter sets in.

This painting is from a plein air session on the grounds of a private home in Flora Vista, New Mexico. One of the members of the group of painters I was with know the owners, which grants us permission to wander their beautiful property to find inspiration.

The wonderful aspect of the property is that you feel as though you are way out in the country even though it is only a mile or so from the busy main highway. And, they have a lovely spring-fed pond, where I sat in the cool shade.

The property is a stone’s throw from the Animas River, which at the time (before the rains came), was but a trickle. As we gathered at the back of the property to share our paintings with one another, we saw a pair of coyotes trot across the river, a rare sight in the middle of the day!

Willow Bend Vista

Willow Bend Vista

11” x 14”

Acrylic on Canvas

One of the most wonderful aspects of joining the Plein Air Painters of the Four Corners is that we get to paint at some great locations on private land that are only open to the group. This was one of those opportunities along the Animas River, where we had permission to set up in the common area of a small group of homes.

It was a full-on summer heatwave, so we started earlier than usual to beat the heat. What a gorgeous spot! I found a shady place and as I set up my gear, I realized I had forgotten my white paint. Yikes. Talk about an art crisis. White is kind of critical when working with acrylic paint. And I was the only painter using acrylic that day.

Fortunately, one of the other artists who was working with watercolor had a small vial of acrylic paint she loaned to me. I carefully put out a few drops of white on my palette at a time so I wouldn’t use up the small amount she had with her. It made for an interesting painting challenge, for sure! When I got home, where my white was patiently waiting, I was able to finish up the piece.

Shadows and Light

Shadows & Light

11” x 14”
Acrylic on Canvas

Expecting another hot day, my hope was to find a cool spot in La Plata Canyon. It did not disappoint. While the rest of the region was giving over to colors of gold and straw in the summer heat, the canyon was lush and green. Ah, so this is where the rain has been hiding, I thought.

I pulled off and wandered over to the river, still bubbling along—but more like a tiny creek than a river. I was drawn to the deep shade of the trees where beams of sunlight lit tender green plants and the scattered cobble left behind by the river when it used to roar with snowmelt in springs of the past.

No bears, no wind, no bugs…it was a perfect and joyful painting session.