LINKS NOW WORKING! Helping You Celebrate the Holidays.

  HOLIDAY SPECIALS

   It is that truly wonderful time of year and I am in the mood.  How could I not be with wonderful friends, family and an upcoming trip to Norway for Christmas.  Yes, really.

    Until December 15, I have four very special framed paintings on sale at 25% off, shipping within the USA included.  Click on the links below the painting photos to purchase on my website.

http://www.carolhopper.com/store/p3/%22Blustery_Day%22.html

http://www.carolhopper.com/store/p9/%22El_Fuerte_River%22.html

http://www.carolhopper.com/store/p14/%22El_Molina_Grand_de_Sapello%22.html

Add capthttp://www.carolhopper.com/store/p27/Taos_Vista.htmlion

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!

Click here to purchase on dailypaintworks.com

Sketch with finished painting

Back up photo reference

CORRALES ADOBE WALL AND GATE IV

Corrales Adobe Wall and Gate IV

The last in the series of this gate and wall.  I have loved painting it for the past few days, daily painter that I am, so for the last painting, I am looking at this nearly straight on.  The Chamisa is in full bloom, while the background cottonwood tree is quickly turning yellow.

Click here to bid or Buy It Now on dailypaintworks.com

Corrales Adobe Wall and Gate IV
Little Gem 6x8
oil on black gessoed board

Paseo del Bosque Trail: SALE PROCEEDS DONATED TO FRIENDS OF THE BOSQUE

Paseo del Bosque Trail
Little Gem
6x8 oil on canvas mounted

PASEO DEL BOSQUE TRAIL
   
This trail runs along the Rio Grande and just a few blocks from the sorghum field grown for the wintering birds.  The sorghum field is ready for harvest but hasn't been prepared.

Many of you have been following my bike adventures and my watchful eye for the big birds migrating south.  The sandhill cranes have
arrived but due to government shutdown, all fish and wildlife employees have been furloughed leaving the birds' winter habitat unprepared and with little for the birds to eat.  The sandhill crane is a species that nearly vanished in the early 20th century before efforts were made to restore their habitat.  For more information on Friends of the Bosque del
Apache National Wildlife Refuge, click here.

All proceeds from the sale of Paseo del Bosque Trail will be donated to Friends of the Bosque.  Click here to purchase on dailypaintworks.com

Sorghum Harvest
Little Gem
6x8 oil on canvas mourned

SORGHUM HARVEST II

Additionally all proceeds from the sale of Sorghum Harvest II will be donated to Friends of the Bosque.  Please help get these fields prepared for the birds.

Click here to purchase on dailypaintworks.com,

Day Twenty Six: Warm Light on the Mountains SOLD

Warm Light on the Mountains
Little Gem
6x8 oil on museum board

Not today, but I stood in this area and painted plein air a few Septembers ago.  Painting this scene outdoors was very difficult because the desert seemed forbidding and harsh.  In reality it is, because plants must survive drought, wind, and heat.  The beauty was in the mountains.

So back in the studio, I let the painting rest...yes, for two years.  Today I painted the Little Gem, working from the larger plein air painting and a photograph but just for a while.  Then I turned to my imagination and just painted.

Click here to buy on dailypaintworks.com.

ACEQUIA MADRE II

Day Ten of the thirty day painting challenge: Acequia Madre II, 6x8

For Acequia Madre I, I stood in this dry arroyo painting en plein air in the hot sun surrounded by desert plants and a vista extending sixty miles.   Painting outdoors is difficult as the earth spins, colors and shadows shift requiring touch ups at home.  Purists say my original cannot then be considered "en plein air".  Humbug.

  I loved the sold original so much, I decided to paint the scene again in the comfort of my studio changing it somewhat.  This is a favorite NM painting of mine.  

To bid or purchase this painting, click here.

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.