This Thanksgiving holiday weekend is going to be an important one this year. I will be venturing out and painting in Plein Air around Shiprock, NM. I've narrowed my choices to areas that are north and south of Shiprock. Up north near the Colorado and New Mexico border there are some awesome plateau rock formations and large upright hand mitten like rock formations that pushed up through the landscape eons ago.

To the south of Shiprock is also a large although smaller plateau formation called Table Mesa to us locals. Both locations have mountains sitting behind them in the distance and should offer some interesting views for this novice Plein Air painter. One thing I know about art is that in order to paint a "good" painting one usually has to paint some really "bad" ones. It's a process. So I am prepared to muck some paintings up this weekend. I will take pics and shoot video this weekend and post here and my You Tube channel (which will actually be my first video) . So stay tuned folks and thanks for visiting my blog. Happy Thanksgiving! : )

Here's an update on my "Plein Air" adventures'.  I've been watching the PBS dvd "Plein Air, Painting the American Landscape" and Scott Christensen's dvd "3 Landscape Studies" in the past few weeks.  I've decided to limit my palette as Scott Christensen has in his dvd. He uses Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Bright Red, and Cadmium Yellow Lemon along with Titanium White and some different nuetral greys. I need to buy a few more items before I head out into the field and give this a shot. I'm anticipating a real struggle with this since I've never done this before. I'll be taking my digital camera and shooting video of this at different times so I can post here and on You Tube.

Watching how these artists work with their paintings has been a real help and I've also been watching artist demonstrations on the subject on You Tube. The anticipation is building!

Working on my next show. Looks like it will be a local show in Blanco New Mexico at Wines of the San Juan on October 21 from 6-8pm. Only one night.

I been generating ideas for a small poster that I can post around the area. Also working on a press release for local media. I will post the announcement on the home page when I am done with it. Also working on some sculptures and wooden wall pieces for this show. Man I better get busy that's going to be here in no time!!!

Great news! My french easel was delivered last week so I am ready to step out in the field and do some plein air painting here in the desert, Score!

Headed to the local Hobby Lobby to look at their french easels (40% off sale) Woohoo! Hope to get out this fall and do some plein air painting (rez style).

I really need to loosen up with my colors and also just get better at painting from life. Too much studio painting and tightness/control.

Plateaus, Mountains, Cottonwoods, Canyons, Sagebrush, Praire Dogs,etc. I'm gonna have my eye on you.

Indian Market has come and gone in a flash it seems. There were good crowds of people roaming the streets in Santa Fe. Meet a lot of people and shook a lot of hands. I actually had a good show in terms of sales.

I also went to the fellowship presentation at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe last thursday. It was nice to meet the donor of the fellowship. And she actually dropped by my booth on saturday. A nice lady and supporter of the arts.

I took plenty of pictures and shot video of Indian Market. So I will be compiling those into slideshows or a video. On my way down last wednesday it was super crazy I had a run in (not literally) with some road rage with a friggin truck driver. It was crazy. It was kinda like the 70s or is it 80s movie "Duel" . Talk about me sweating bullets with a big ass 18 wheeler following me way too close !!!! I ended up calling 911 and describing what that creep was doing. It's so nice to be in one piece.

11:26 p.m. just updated my website with some news, got a few things to finish here before I turn in. Things are looking good. Looks like I will not be able to put my full inventory up until next week. I will put up a few that are done tomorrow. Including the piece I will enter into the juried show. I love my imac desktop but maybe it's time I switch over to a laptop so I can work on web stuff when I travel.

I will be shooting video from tomorrow through the end of the show in Santa Fe. Showing this artistic adventure to Santa Fe and Back. Hope to put it up on You Tube in early September. Ohhh what a week this will be... excitement is in the air!

Videos of painting demonstrations and my artistic adventures will be shared starting this fall.  I've started practicing and experimenting with video but have a ways to go before I have a finished product.  Some will be slideshows while others will be full videos with sound.

I am looking forward to sharing my painting adventures with visitors.

Here's an update on the pieces I worked on this weekend.  I still have a ways to go on them. Worked saturday and sunday on them, there are a few more that didin't make it in the photo because of their size.  I hope to finish them by next weekend and add them to the "Paintings for Sale" gallery on the site.  Took this photo then went outside to enjoy the monsoon clouds and breeze this evening. It was good for the soul : 0)

Holy cow! Its coming fast. I'll be sweating bullets soon trying to finish my work. I gota get things done during the daytime because I can't pull all nighters anymore. Getting too old. Hope the weather is nice again this year : )

Gonna hit the canvas and paints this evening after I get off work and have a meal.

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• Thanksgiving Holiday update
• Update on Plein Air adventures'
• Indians in Wine Country
• In search of... a french easel
• A few days after Indian Market
• Twas the night before my departure for Santa Fe Indian Market...
• You Tube account created today, videos to follow this fall.
• Weekend painting update
• 67 days until Santa Fe Indian Market!

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