Painting the Land of Enchantment: An Artist’s Journey Through New Mexico Landscapes Paperback – January 22, 2025

“Painting the Land of Enchantment” is a selection of oil and pastel landscapes, mainly from scenes in Northern New Mexico, and the Ruidoso area. Most of these paintings were finished from 1998 through 2024, forming a selected retrospective of my New Mexico landscapes. Included with the landscapes are what might be considered cityscapes and architecture. Because of their distinctive character and identity with the land, I’m including all of these in the landscape category.Each painting is identified by title, medium, and size, along with a short description and any other important information. Many of the paintings were done outdoors, on location, and are identified as “Plein Air”. They are usually done in one sitting, or “Alla Prima”.One of the most frequent questions I’m asked is, “How long does it take to complete a painting?” Because of limiting factors like movement of the sun, weather, insects, and exhaustion, a typical plein air painting takes two to three hours. Sometimes, finishing touches will need to be added later in the studio. No more than twenty percent of the work should ever be done in the studio if it is to be regarded as “Plein Air”.I have included some demonstration paintings done in my workshops, or as a presentation for an art organization program. Due to time restrictions, these paintings are usually limited to one or two hours painting time, at the most. Having been a film animator in my early career, and later doing frequent demonstration paintings, I feel comfortable painting quickly, even completing my more involved studio paintings in under five hours. I prefer this approach because it accentuates the energy, spontaneity, and adrenaline rush that I feel when painting “en plein aire”. However, I spend a considerable amount of time preparing for painting sessions with careful location and photo reference research. Designing paintings in advance and preparing materials can easily take as much or even more time than it takes to do the painting. I believe spontaneous, loose, and painterly work requires great control, and I never begin a serious painting without planning my process and design carefully.Over the years during my travels around New Mexico, I have found favorite locations and subject matter that I return to paint again and again. Often, I will paint these prized locations at different times of the year, or in a different medium, or just to express a different aspect of the scene. I have also included examples of smaller pastel paintings that serve as studies for larger oils and pastels.My hope is that my art work will help reveal the beauty around us that we so frequently miss seeing and enjoying. Read more