CRANE FESTIVAL: ALBUQUERQUE

 CRANE FESTIVAL…..photos taken with my iPhone.

      I am very blessed to live so near the Rio Grande, within walking distance of it and the Open Space fields for the wintering geese and cranes.  Many of you followed my blog during September's thirty day challenge to paint thirty paintings in thirty days and on those blog posts I talked about the flyway, the sorghum fields and my wait for the birds.

     This weekend the Open Space center held many activities, including music, a play, and art activities for the kids.

Juniper in Autumn

"Juniper in Autumn", 6x8 Little Gem, oil on black gessoed board, with black edge.

If you follow my blog you know I live within walking distance of the Rio Grande.  All of the river front is native habitat and protected by the state park system.  I had no idea the trouble I was about to encounter when I decided to paint the tree.  Over and over I experienced failure.  Finally I took my canvas chair and my sketch book and sat in front of the tree until I understood it and could sketch it.  Not a tree; a BUSH!

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Sketch with finished painting

Back up photo reference

Day Twenty Four: Desert Monsoon Season

"Desert Monsoon Season"
Little Gem
6x8 oil on canvas mounted

Six to go dear fans...did you hear...only six to go!

Obviously lots of prayers and wishes got answered this year as the rains came and came.  We are caught up for this year, but remain way down when adding in the previous years of drought.  So our water table remains too low.

It isn't very often I see storm clouds like this and it also isn't very often that it takes three weeks for a painting to dry.

This is our bosque area looking east to the Sandia mountains, part of the Rocky Mountain System.  Albuquerque's average elevation is 5000 feet.

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Day Twenty: In the Weeds

In the Weeds
Little Gem
6x6 oil on canvas mounted

Closing in the end of the challenge...how cool is that.

I hope you read my story in yesterday's blog about finally finding these little flowers down the embankment of the bike trail.  It's a wonder I kept the bike upright coming to a stop-right-now.  (And to think I am going skiing in Norway at Christmas time, I think I am an inch away from hurting myself...but stayed tuned...)

I love these delicate little flowers so much, yet hardy enough to withstand our recent rains, I chose to paint them up close and personal.  I hope you like this painting!

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Day Fifteen: Alemada Wetland II SOLD

Alemeda Wetland II
Little Gem
6x8 oil on canvas mounted

To see into this wetland, one must go into a "duck blind" so no wildlife is disturbed.  Besides ducks, geese, and cranes that winter in Albuquerque, there are mammals in this wetland.  There are two Canada Geese enjoying the wetland on this day, though no other geese have yet arrived from the north (September).

I really loved painting the two wetland scenes and sharing them as I know most people have no idea the desert southwest has this...and right in my city of Albuquerque.

It has been raining cats and dogs in Albuquerque for several days now.  I am so grateful I got photos of the flowering desert plants as I expect, when I can next get on my bike, that the blossoms have all been knocked off.  Maybe not; desert plants are a hardy lot!

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Desert Plants in Bloom V SOLD

Day Eleven of the Thirty Day challenge, 9/11 and Happy Birthday to my only child!

Out on the Paseo del Bosque bike trail again, riding hard, trying to build up leg muscles in anticipation of a Christmas ski trip to Norway with my soon to be 16 year old grandson.  There was a bit of coyote scat on the trail today; must have been a coyote party in the night.  Not long ago I saw the coyote parents heading into the heavy brush adjacent to the river.  The cubs were left alone sunning in the open.

Today I had more stops than normal for photos.  I love the wide openness of these wild flowers.  Orange, really orange.

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Desert Plants in Bloom IV

Desert Plants in Bloom IV
Little Gem
oil on canvas, mounted

DAY EIGHT of the thirty day challenge and all is well.   My daily bike rides provide me with so much material for painting but fall is (maybe) in the air and I notice flowers on the native plants are less fresh.  This plant is called Apache Plume because the flowers look like plumes.  The Apache part I am not so sure of.  We love the plant even in our own yards.

Sunday on the bike trail is a mash-up: in-line skaters, walkers, runners, bicycles and today there was a 35 mile bike event.

To purchase, click on the link under the photograph.

Desert Plants in Bloom II

Desert Plants in Bloom II
Little Gem
Oil on canvas, mounted

Day Seven of the Thirty Day Challenge:

Out on the Paseo del Bosque bike trail again today, good thing I talked with a gorgeous gentleman (yes, I am married) because I had a battle with this painting.  I kept getting mud when the yellow paint of the flowers mixed with the purple background.  Scrape, scrape, scrape.  Finally I thinly laid in the purple back ground to quick dry; then I was successful in painting the remainder of the plant.  I love the background as well...

I don't know the names of the hundreds of native wild desert plants along the ditches and river bank of NM.  I wish I did.


By the way, the gentleman and I agreed that the best time of day was dawn.

To buy this painting, click on the link under the photograph.