Thanks Tom for your friendship. Just recently made another change – I’m now 5 minutes walk to wonderful painting opportunities in the bush with rock wallabies etc. – I lost some treasured work destroyed in a flood 2 weeks ago, racing to beat the rising water from garage stored canvases. But always an up side to a loss - it then spawned possibly my best work some days later down along the swollen flooded river system.

For 4 weeks it’s been unusually changeable whether here; dark heavy rain, and then within minutes sunny - was a real thrill to be out there braving the elements to capture it. I’m an oil and oil pastel guy (love the direct ‘lipstick’ luscious feel of this medium rather than the traditional ‘Degas’ chalks, direct on support without palette). But chose acrylics, a medium I hadn’t used since art school days – just let the rain create what ever on large canvases with me ;) At the moment I’m enjoying everyone’s work on Plein Air Artists, but looking forward soon to be more involved.

The best part of changeable whether is those really lovely dramatical tone reversals - the dark grey -blue background sky with the sun breaking through and lighting the foreground trees in magical light tone. But then within minutes the tones are reversed, the background becomes light grey /sunny with the foreground trees (minutes earlier almost white) - now in dark shadow.  - Nature herself quickly creates an interesting different series of the one scene.

Thanks for the friend invite :)

Looking forward to seeing more of your work. It is inspirational.

Winter Solitude and Sandstone Cliffs are exquisite.  I love the combination of the Sandia mountains warmth and the cool tones of the snow.  Beautiful job.  I will be in New Mexico this September.  The first two weeks I will be working independently, would love to meet up with you.  The second two weeks I am teaching a Plein Air Painting Workshop.  This workshop is for professionals as well as amateur painters of all levels.  We will be going to Ghost Ranch then up to Chimayo and Taos.  Hope we can get together!  Let me know if you are interested.  I would love to paint  with a painter from Albuquerque!   sincerely,  Jeanean