The Trip Beginning to Ghost Ranch

We are in Sedona, having a very good time! I have told several and I have posted that I would be doing a little 5”x7” painting each day and posting it here on the blog. It has been difficult to do that. We get up and start talking about art, breakfast gets going, dressing and discussion about whether we will paint, visit galleries, buy groceries, etc.  Here is a shot on our drive to the home we rented! Absolutely beautiful!

The first day here we were so tired, so Wanda Crane, Denise Champion and I decided we would use that day as a rest day and gathering day – groceries and stuff for the house. We also had to visit the rental agency for a couple more keys. Candy Day would arrive that afternoon about 3:30 and we would pick her up in town. But, before going to town, we took a wonderful walk, just up from our house. We followed one of the trails that takes you to a fantastic view of Cathedral Rock – I think it might be called the “Landing Pad” but I am not positive. It is quite a massive rock, mostly flat on top and overlooks Crescent Moon Park. Candy arrived, and by then we were telling her about our adventures at Ghost Ranch and Canyon de Chelly.

I started looking for the cable hook-up and finally found it upstairs in the loft, but it is in one of the artist’s bedroom! But there was no cord to hook to the laptop. We were told to just buy one and they would reimburse me. By then it was too late to get going. And, we have to take turns plugging in and being on the internet.



View from our room at Ghost Ranch!




Canyon de Chelly



I have been uploading my photographs – many, many photographs – from the camera and that takes some time. No telling how many photos of our places visited I will end up with. And, I have just started talking photographs of the paintings I did at the Ann Templeton workshop, the day we painted at Canyon de Chelly, and now one day of painting here in Sedona.

I will show you a few of the workshop paintings – now remember when an artist takes a workshop, we do some of our worst work. If you don’t, then you are not stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new ideas. Ann’s idea is (as many good teachers) to simplify the landscape into larger masses and then start refining. I have usually done this, but when in this new landscape – red rocks, cliffs, sage, chamisa (and not sure if I spelled this correctly either) and such – it becomes a little more difficult. I wanted to put many of the new things I was seeing into my paintings. I made them quite busy and many times I was tricked into thinking the darks were so much darker than reality. There were many new things to ponder while trying to battle the sun, the dryness, and the winds. So, I will post the first few in the order they were done.



First Morning Painting in Ann's Workshop

 This painting is an oil and I think it is 16"x20" -- early morning and the light was just beginning to come over the top of the butte.

The painting below is one I did on the first day also, but after lunch and looking out the other direction, but my easel was in the same spot. The mountain in the distance is the one Georgia O'Keefe painted many times -- "Pedernal."

 

Oil Painting number 2 - afternoon light at Ghost Ranch



Day Two - First Painting in the morning - Oil, 11"x14"



Day Two, Afternoon Painting - Oil, 9"x12"


These two paintings are the second day and were just up a canyon at what they called the "Casitas" and I loved the arroyo. Ann Templeton loved that I wanted to paint this, and said "You have given me a new inspiration to want to paint the arroyo." I thought the comment was exceptionally nice.

Okay, until next post! I'll try to get on in the mornings, since it seems we have discussions here at evening time and then we are tired and retire to bed early. Later!