Happy Friday from Carlsbad, June 27

 Today I did some serious painting, finishing three acrylic panels. The first was an image of the prominent mountain, El Capitan, in the adjacent Guadalupe National Park. This mountain is visible from the visitor center here at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This is a 12 x 16" acrylic on cardboard. I'm learning that cardboard isn't the best backing medium. You can see some of the corrugation showing through in the clouds. You will note here that I am trying some stronger and more unusual colors to make the landscape more interesting.



Since I am in New Mexico, I've been thinking about the famed artist, Georgia O'Keefe. Her mountain landscapes of the Santa Fe area use exceptionally strong colors, including purples and rusts. With that in mind, I tried to expand my palette more broadly with this mountain scene. I think I'm still too timid with strong colors. I need to be even stronger. This is a 12 x 12" acrylic on canvas board.


This last image was meant to be a view from Carlsbad, looking out over the plains below, but somehow I didn't effectively communicate that. It more closely resembles looking at some hillsides around Carlsbad, maybe with the trail crossing one hillside. This is a 12 x 12" acrylic on canvas board.


Regardless of the quality of my painting, I am enjoying myself immensely. I must have had conversations with 80 individuals today as they passed by and engaged in a chat.

I have also been thinking about the famed cowboy artist, Charles M. Russell, who painted in my hometown of Great Falls, Montana. I remember reading one of his postcards to a friend where he said he was learning to "lay on color." I think that's what I'm doing too. I am learning to "lay on color."

Happy Friday!



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