What Could Be Better Than Taos?

Taking a workshop with Albert Handell in Taos! 

I took hundreds of photos and pages of notes; inspiration and guidance for a long time to come. Thank you Albert and Jeanine!

It was a wonderful, informative and enlightening week. 

Albert Handell, Demo in Progress

Adobe Demo, Albert Handell

A Visit with Walt Gonske

 Walt Gonske & Me

My husband, granddaughter and I visited New Mexico this past June. The highlight of this trip was getting to finally meet one of my very favorite artists, Walt Gonske. After a tour of his beautiful home and studio, we sat down to visit for a little while. I had always wanted to meet him and being able to visit was something really special. It was interesting to learn that we are both of Slavic descent. This may explain why we are both so drawn to the work of Nicolai Fechin, who also once lived in Taos, NM. Walt's work very much reminds me of Fechin's. He has even had the honor of exhibiting his work in Fechin's home, now the Taos Art Museum. 

Plein Air in Taos, New Mexico

Walt Gonske's Garden

It’s always a good time to visit New Mexico so, when I heard that Ron Rencher was offering a plein air workshop in Taos, I signed up! It had been years since I had painted en plein air, a fancy, schmancy way of saying “painting outside”, and boy, was I ever rusty! That’s ok…it was Taos after all!

The above photo is our group and Walt Gonske after painting in his beautiful garden. In the back right of the photo you can see the view poor Walt has to endure…the Sacred Taos Mountain. 

Rio Grande Gorge

2014 has been a rainy year in the High Desert of New Mexico. The landscape added green to its palette of colors. 

"Rio Grande Gorge"

9"x 12", Oil on Canvas Board

Website: sekulastudio.com

Red Rocks and a Steep Climb

“Red Rocks and a Steep Climb”

12”x 9”, Oil on Linen, Mounted on Birch

Looking up from deep inside the Rio Grande Gorge, along a far less traveled road, just outside of Taos.

SOLD

Solo Trip

A year ago in May, I set out on a solo trip for the mountains of New Mexico. I don't think my husband fully understood the need for a solo trip but he felt it was important enough that he gave a reluctant nod. I was on the highway hours before dawn with the anticipation of a small child at Christmas. I pushed out the thought of, "what the heck am I doing/thinking" by recalling the following quote by Georgia O’Keeffe, "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life - and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." The only difference was that it was not a want, but rather a need, and was so deep and personal that there were no words that could help anyone understand why. Some things in life don't require words; they just need to be heeded. So, off I went on my solo trek for the first time since I was seventeen years old, stopping only for gas and a quick bite along the way. It took twelve hours to reach my first destination; Santa Fe.

Even after almost a year, I am still unable to articulate the experience, save for a few blips and blurbs here and there. What I have been able to do is create a series of paintings of what inspired me most in the High Desert, ranging from Albuquerque to Taos. I will do my best to express what moved me about each one as I post them.

Thank you for following my blog. I hope you will feel some of what I felt as I traveled through the "Land of Enchantment".