A Santa Fe Lamp In late March, four of us headed off to Santa Fe, NM for a vacation and celebration of the 40th birthday of the youngest of the four. The location and the B and B, were her choice of where to spend such a significant day. I can say, without reservation, that it was the most beautiful place I have ever been.The vistas of the southwest are so different from anything else I have experienced. The landscape is wide open and the sky is clear and huge! The light has a penetrating quality to it and is either warm, or cold, depending on the moment.
Most EDM folks will understand when I say that I may have taken a few too many art supplies with me. After all, what's another suitcase, even if it costs $25.00 extra because it is overweight? I was certain that I would have hours and hours to sketch, paint, and journal on this trip. Plein air! My dream come true! This was my chance! I wasn't in charge of anything on this trip other than my own relaxation. A week of unfamiliar scenery, museums, galleries, great meals, and lots of shopping was before me. I was ready to set up shop wherever, and whenever possible, and record the beauty of the area. The lamp pictured here is the extent of my art work for the whole trip. It wasn't even air unless you consider a community room with the door open to be air! What I hadn't counted on was the difficulty of breathing at that altitude. Walking around, looking at the scenery, and trying to take it all in was about all I could do. Really and truly, that was sufficient! The snow showers that greeted us on our arrival were an added thrill for me. I have always loved snow and spent hours and hours out in it as a child. I still love the beautiful stuff but it seems so much colder than it did 50 years ago!
Our departure was also accompanied by snow! Only this time, it was heavy enough for us to be concerned about our air travel. We were sweeping snow off of the car in Santa Fe and there wasn't a flake to be seen at the airport in Albuquerque. It was still springtime there!
This "somewhat southwest" sketch started out as a doodle on a page in my journal. It is an image from my mind and the colors are personal preference, nothing more. I started it after the vacation and have worked on it a few times since then. I added color to it this week with the intention of posting it here. The "Community Room Lamp" and this "Somewhat Southwest Scene" are my Santa Fe Series!!!! (chuckle)Such a delightful vacation warrants many more sketches! We took some photographs worthy of sketching so I have more material to draw from (that's a pun!) for future sketching. I think a sketch of something near Ghost Ranch or of Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved red and gold cliffs would make a good addition to my memories of this trip.
Both sketches were done in my regular journal, with plain paper refills from. Done first in pencil, inked, and later color added with Derwent pencils, and brushed with water to blend.
3 comments:
Hi Frankye;
I know what you mean about adjusting to that higher altitude. It took us a day or two to adjust to the thinner air. Our room was at the top of a mesa, so every day we hiked down for breakfast and back up in the evening after our field sketching trips were done. After the 2nd day, it wasn't so bad. But we didn't have the factor of snow to deal with ;)
That's so true! I did the same kind of thing when I went to Minneapolis--brought all this art stuff with me--never used any of it. Too sore and too busy visiting--hehe! :) You have pictures, tho--and can do all kinds of sketches from those, too. Better luck next time on the plein air...:)
Love your homey lamp, and the school supplied....great use of color, and wonderful sketches.
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