O'Keefe Country

This past week, I worked on two landscape scenes of Georgia O'Keefe country - the area of northern New Mexico near Abiquiu.

The rocks of this region take on different depths and tones of color, depending on the mineral content of the rock formation, the time of day, quality and direction of the light, and atmospheric conditions. While at times the rocks take on vermillion hues similar to the red rocks of Sedona, at other times, and particularly when the sun is hitting them directly, they take on a more golden hue.

In these two pieces, I have tried to capture these different effects. Regardless, the landscape of this region is breathtaking.

Georgia O'Keefe Country - Abiquiu, NM
18" x  24" in acrylic with palette knife

Abiquiu, NM
18" x 24" in acrylic with palette knife

Canyon with Angels

I have been continuing to explore painting in the style and technique of the late, great Louisa McElwain. This is my latest effort in that vein.

This painting is 18" by 24", done with palette knife in a loose, expressionistic style, with gusto and emotion in each stroke of the knife. I may have wanteded down a trail of semi-abstract in the painting process. 😉

Louisa McElwain was an artist extraordinare, who lived in the Santa Fe, NM area. I've viewed videos of many of her painting sessions in an effort to understand the process and techniques she used. My work is not a copy of hers, rather my own exploration of using her techniques to create different effects.

Her canvases were huge - 4 feet by 6 feet and larger! She painted plein air, using the tailgate of her pick-up truck as her studio. She used mason trowels as palette knives, and had to duck-tape large paintbrushes to long tree branches in order to reach the tops of her paintings!

My painting is much smaller, of course.  I would love to paint on canvases that large, though, and I would really love to have a pick-up truck.

Canyon with Angels, 18" by 24" in acrylic with palette knife.