Only last week I spent a couple very cold days at the Grand Canyon. I created this little painting as a study for a larger version I hope to create. It posed many challenges...creating brightness on a dreary day, mist rising from the canyon, and parts of the rocky cliff that were obscured by a wall in my photo. I tackled all the problems and can't wait to start the larger version!!
It's great that I get to live at the base of the Sandia mountains, but it's even better that from my kitchen, I can watch the mountain light change throughout the day. When I was cooking dinner a couple weeks ago, the clouds lit up like this right outside my window.
This painting shows part of the Rio Grande gorge near Taos. It had been a rainy night, followed by a cloudy, dreary day, but just as I looked, the sun broke through and lit up this one small patch of land.
This image is from a hike to the higher points of Piedra Lisa trail in the Sandia Mountains. I was trying to capture the early morning light, but it was actually on the way back that this image of the day's beginning struck me.
The La Luz trail is a Sandia Mountain route I try to hike at least once a year. A couple weeks ago, I was able to get an early start, so I was surrounded by my favorite scenery as the sun started reaching the upper valleys.
I've been passing this spot north of Albuquerque for a while. I knew that someday the arrangement of mountains and foothills would be lit just right. This rainy day, I waited for the sun to pop out from between the clouds and loved the streak of light through the center of the scene.
Although I pursued wildlife science and environmental communication as a career, creating art has been a way for me to capture the natural places I love.
Upon moving to Albuquerque in 2001, I quickly became infatuated with the wide open spaces and clear sunlight and eventually switched to art full-time. With soft pastels, I am able to capture the rich colors and dramatic lighting that I find in the New Mexican landscape.
I hope my paintings will not just be a record of beautiful places, but an expression of the affection I have for these special areas. By sharing the beauty of the outdoors, I hope to inspire others to appreciate the importance of nature...whether it’s a sweeping wilderness or a special corner of a backyard.