Santuario Rancho de Taos, 11x14, oil, pleinair

From Sante Fe to Taos a backroad winds through the mountains. There are lots of paintings I missed but we managed to find time to stop at this extraordinary adobe church built because of the vision of a farmer and is a sacred healing place that many come to pray and take some of the dirt of the place away with them. I saw folks on crutches and wheel chairs, young and old.

We stayed in Taos which was NOT Sante Fe. I found the Church of St. Francis Assisi in Rancho De Taos, made famous by so many artists, including Georgia O'Keefe.

Real Adobe is so human. It is workman toiling, it is native material, it is a grand vision with deep roots. Betts prayed, I painted. Both our efforts payed off.

Canyon de Chilly, oil, 11x14, plein air

Stayed at the Cameron Trading Post near the notorious Lee's Ferry, NM. Wonderful stonework gardens. We got on the Trading Post road through the High Colorado Plateau, marveling at the red rock dinosaur eggs, stopping at a couple pueblos for a gander at pottery, jewelry and horse blankets. We stopped at the Hopi First Mesa and got the opportunity to talk with Hopi artist, Lawrence Namoki and wife Lucida, traded for one of his pots, decorated with Hopi Katchina, the One Horn God, Two Horned God, Sun God and Warrior. Lawrence explained as much as he could about his work in the 4 hours we had. Lawrence pushes the envelope of Hopi tradition with his art but stays true to the craft and world view of his people.

We got the deep fried Chinle, in time to view the sun setting on the red rock Canyon de Chelly, a place I could spend the rest of my life painting. I couldn't help but feel it is one of the sacred places of the planet. What a wonderful place to be now and in the past, a sacred place to the People of the southwest.

As I was painting Spider Woman Rock, the sun was coming up, smoke from a hogan rose from the roof. A person came out and threw their blanket over a horse and rounded up sheep and goats. It felt surreal to witness such a moment, as if time stood still.

Legend says that the white color on the top of Spider Woman Rock is the bones of bad little children. Pretty convincing.

Tripin' the Southwest with an easle

When we hit the Grand Canyon I jumped out with my easle and disapeared into the landscape. It was a perfect day, a little overcast but warm at this high altitude untill the sun went down then the wind from the Canyon whelled up and the temperature went down with the sun.
The Big GC is a little daunting expecially for a pleinair painter trying to get something said before the light changes. I think I managed to pull off what I did because I'm using my pallet knife to load color onto the canvas in order to cover ground fast, try to make the color, value and temperature selection on the pallet, block it in and move on, coming back to finesse whatever needs attention.
With so much beauty and granduer to filter, I knew I had to get in to the moment and let whatever come through that could. I did 3 sketches by the time the sun went down. Unfortunately Betts got worried as I had left the trail and didn't rendezvous when and where I said I would so she got the Rangers stirred up to come looking for a loss arteest. I got back in time to thank the gentleman and enjoy the wonderful chicken and martinis on the tail gate of our rental car. Twas a Grand time at the Grand Canyon.

More of the South West

On our trip through the South West our goal was Sante Fe. We stopped at the capitol of the Navaho Nation at Window Rock. Looking for the Window Rock Trading Post we found the rock with the window in it that also had a memorial to Navaho warriors and the Code Talkers of WWII by accident.

The Trading Post was full of great stuff from all over the Navaho Nation. We scored a nice piece of jewellry for Betts. I don't think you can get a better deal unless you go to the source like Window Rock.

If you ever get to Sante Fe I recommend the Bonito Pueblo Bed and Breakfast. Built in the late 1800's it is authentic adobe. It's walking distance to the Plaza, clean and well furnished with a great breakfast. We were warmly greeted by Strellsa, a local artist and the owner Herb, who is a horseman so we talked shop about owning horses in the southwest.

We went to Taos but were disapointed in as much as the Fechin Home and Museum was closed so we went back to Sante Fe. Betts loves Sante Fe and rightly so. There must be something about the thin fresh air that makes for so much art. There are over 5000 artists in the Sante Fe area and that doesn't count all the Native Americans that come to the Palace of the Governor to show their wares.

They have to show their tribal enrollment cards as well as establish that their work is made by hand. Each day their are new artisans that roll their blankets out. There are also many, many galleries some of great prominence such as the Fenn, Alterman and Gerald Peters fine arts galleries, crafts galleries, and galleries of a vast array of contemporary arts.

We visited the Sante Fe Fine Arts Museum for the opportunity to see works of the Taos Society, Georgia O'Keefe and an excellent curated show of SW artists "How the West was One". We had the fortunate opportunity to sit in on a presentation by 6 conceptual artists doing 'bleeding' edge stuff that I enjoyed emmensly. Between the symbolic language of the Hopi, the inspiring landscape of the Colorado Plateau and wealth of creativity in Sante Fe, Betts and I had one of our best trips.

Burnt Sienna, history, Gregg, Betts and the SW

Anywhere is as close the nearest airport, just ask a stewardess. Betts and I just got home when we left for Flagstaff, Arizona so she could be on a panel having to do with telecommunications and the Stimulus Package (I'll Stimulus Package U). Sounded like an opportunity for this iternerent pallet to go someplace I hadn't been before. Turns out that the SW US is another cosmic feature of our great place on the planet we all refer to as the US of A up there with Bar Harbor, Maine, the Berring Sea and the Sanpoil of the Colville Rez.

While Betts did here thing on the www, I got lost on the convoluted streets of Flagstaff, AZ and found the first of the Catholic Churches that pervade the SW that I painted. Although not adobe this ediface presents the pervading pink a.k.a. burnt sienna and white that built my pallet during this sojuorn through parts of the SW.

From Flagstaff we tried to unwind and get into the trip although what with Betts channeling contacts through her cell phone it was a challenge for her to chill.

2 hours north we scoped the big hole mother of many Native American creation stories and American Pie photo ops, the Big GC.

While I painted, Betts scoped a place to stay. At $350 a night we opted for Cameron Trading Post, 3o miles on our way to the Hopi First Mesa, $120, clean, neat and charming walled garden, excellent breakfast too although pretty campy chinese made knockoffs of indian artifacts.

Night fell and no Gregg so Betts calls 911 and notifies the Rangers her paintoro is missing. I get back in time to flag off the rescue squad and Betts breaks out the makings for a martini and pollo picnic. Gotta love that girl!
We headed out on SR 89 to which takes us across the heart of Navaho and Hopi country to scope the pots, rugs and jewelry using our trusty AAA road atlas and a book Betts had of Trading Posts of the SW. Betts having been here before had an agenda, me I was in hog artist heaven in the wonderland of Red Rock Mesa's and dinotopia. Everywhere is a painting. Unfortunately the pueblo tribes have been overwhelmed with tourists and either prohibit taking pictures or charge a few. What do you expect when you pave a road to the top of your fortress? But then it's a great way to get folks to pay to take a tour and man do they need the money. 60% unemployment on the rez and the associated social problems that go with that burden.

We stopped at Yuba City and took in the Flea Market. That's where the action is. Every weekend Indian country gets together and does a local flea market off the tailgate of their pickups. It's pretty cool. We were the only whites in a huge, I mean 200 pickups selling, bartering and trading. It's a culture. There wasn't any art or crafts to speak of this is where folks Pow Wow. We got some strange/indian food, Peeka bread? made from blue corn and ash, kind of like a potato chip/filo bread, not to appetizing but then I haven't had much native american food that has been. Everyone sells Pinion nuts, the fruit pf the Pinion Pine. I guess you're supposed to shell them like pistachios. I managed to get a sliver of shell through my gums which I worried the rest of the trip with my tongue. Managed to extract it about 6 days later.

We stopped at First Mesa and bought a pot. I didn't take any pictures out of respect for the no pcture policy. Met Lawrence and Lucida Namoki. Had an intense conversation about Hopi prophecies. Lawrence's family has been Katcheena makers for ceturies. Lawrence has started to make hand built pots and paint them with Katcheenas in such a way as to express his personal world view using his culture's symbolic language and colors. It isn't traditional but he is well recognized with pieces in the Smithsonian. He has a collector that is an astronaut that took one of Namoki's pots on the space shuttle. Altogether we had a cosmic discussion about Hopi, art, life and what the future will bring which according to Namoki is good although it will be traumatic. Namoki holds that everything is arranged to come down by 2012. We left with one of his smaller pots and stories, good medicine for the rest of the trip.

We continued on to Chinle' and arrinving in time to see the sunset over Canyon de Chelly (e.k. Canyon de Che'). Awesome! I think Canyon de Chelly is the most sacred, beautiful place I have ever been. I left Betts at the Thunderbird Inn (I recommend the Navaho Taco for breakfast) and greeted the moon coming up over the Plateau and then set up my easle to capture the sun coming up casting long shadows into the canyon. I painted Spider Woman Rock, which has to do with many native creation stories. I hiked around the rim and got a view from the west. The painting captured the moment but fails to share the story. As I painted, listening to the birds wake up in the cedars, 2000' below a woman emerged from her hogan which sits at the base of Spider Woman. She threw a blanket over her pony standing unteathered in front of the hogan and began to gather her goats and sheep. It was magical! If I had to choose a place to paint for the rest of my life it would be Canyon de Chilly.

The place is a national monument so you have to hire a native guide to tour by jeep or horse the Canyon itself. The floor of the Canyon are the homesteads of the Navaho and is private. The People have hogans where they raise sheep, goats, horses, weave rugs and grow blue corn for income and ceremonies. Some day I will return and get to know these people.

Where ever there is an overlook you will find Navaho with stuff for sale layed out on blankets. Not much of it is the quality you will find in Sante Fe, the trading posts or on the pueblos but it is a way for the locals to make a few dollars. They are all willing to dicker so don't be shy of negotiating.

I best go feed the horses and continue this later. Atleast we came home and the snow was gone.

DC in March

Washington DC is a happening place. Whether it is government issues, or visiting as a tourist DC is a great place to explore. I've been there 5 or 6 times. Because art is my thing I can obsess on the masterpieces that there are to appreciate.
This trip there was an exhibit at the National Gallery, of the newly un-earthed villa or the 'Gold Bracelet', Pompei. Incredibly intact frescoes, mosaicssculpture and archetecture, displayed intact. I hadn't realized how accomplished the Roman artisans were. I thought chiarascuro was a discovery by artists such as Caravagio but these artisans were quite accomplished at the practice of highlight and shadow, modeling, whether it was a fresco or mosaic.
At the newly remodeled Phillips gallery I was delighted with many new pieces of artists I thought I new well. I discovered the russian abstract artist Nicholas de Stael. A dedicated abstractionist, de stael had to leave Russia as abstract art was not supported. His wife died of malnutrition and he latered marred had 3 children and committed suicide after a critic trashed his work. A troubled individual he showed up on the doorstep of Phillips home with a car load of paintings that Phillips purchased. de Stael was well regarded internationally and was supporting his family with his work when he leapt to his death from his 11th floor studio.

What resonated with me is the texture of his canvas. Like most paintings you can't tell from a photo the texture and presence of a painting. I saw Monets that were extraordinarily thick paint, as if he had painted on them for years. Thick paint, up to 1/4 " thick, simplified subject, emotional color and compostion. Much of what I saw in painting this visit were things I hadn't noticed before that validate my explorations leading me to write, "give yourself permission to use color, thick paint and most of all paint, paint, paint. All the answers are in the doing!

Hood River Plein Air

Hood River on the Columbia at sunset. 8x10, oil

Man in His Garden

"Man in His Garden" 18"x18", oil

A landmark painting for me, this painting exhibits a style and motif, I care to pursue.

The paint itself is carved and sculptural. Entirely painted with a pallet knife. I find colors remain cleaner and is very tactile, achieving my effort to create a painting that becomes an artifact or something more than merely a pictoral representation and becoming something that shares the attributes of sculpture or an intaglio print or even a collage. I can feature pursuing this direction to the extent of using plaster and tile.

Road to the Highlands

I spent much of the fall in the beautiful Okanogan Highlands, a neighboring eco-system of high (4000') open grasslands of aspen groves in the folds of hills that rise to forested slopes of solitary peaks such as Bonapart Mt (seen in the background).

Bonapart has significance to my partners family, as does the Okanogan, because their ancestors were some of the first ranchers in the area and her grandfather, Russel Buckley, was one of the first Forest Rangers, patrolling the huge forests of the Okanogan by horseback.
It is important to me to follow the advise of friend and artist William Reese and his wife Fran who say that I should paint about what I know and the places I know. They say there is much of beauty and value in the region that have yet to be discovered by the art world.
From participating in paintouts and painting in different locations of the country I have found that there is considerable reason to regard 'place' as

important to not only the artist rendering the view but to those that live in that landscape and perhaps to those that value such work enough to purchase it and live with the painting they have invested in, a raison d'etre of place, painting, artist and patron.
I have set myself a project of painting the colorful studies I did of the Okanogan into large, 30"x40" canvases. Doing so I have reached a technique that is exciting and enjoyable and achieves a goal I have felt my work should also explore of considering the painting as an artifact of thought expressed in harmonious and beautiful stature. Simply put, I am using the broken color concept of the impressionists and using LOTS of paint, actually carving the paint into the drawing it needs to be. Perhaps nothing new in the realm of art history but new and exciting to me. If you can expand this photo you will be able to see the impasto effect of the paint.

Back at the Ranch, Fall Color

After an intense summer on the road to plein air paintouts including Joeseph, Oregon, Hood River Oregon, Whidby Island, WA, Ellensburg, WA., Wenatchee, WA., Hope, Id., I look forward to studio time and might night be seen until next spring.

I'm trying to capture the Fall Colors before they go away and plan to get through the black hole of Winter by doing a series using Fall Colors.

John Carlson, "Analyze your impression in order to approach expression......"