I’ve been part of a group called the East Studio Art League for about 3 years now. I found the painter Richard Alan Nichols online years ago and my sweet, sweet husband gifted me a set of art group classes for Christmas back in 2019 or so.
“Rich” leads the group and is always the first one to the door with a cup of hot coffee and inevitably a good joke. His laughter and that of the rest of class, is audible from the beautifully gardened patio in front of the Blumenschein Museum.
The Art class takes place in Blumie’s old home– so it’s small and condensed with history. The warmth of a bunch of artists and the conversation they bring simply can’t be beat. I call it my church.
This week I added finishing touches to my painting of Dennis sorting cows for branding or maybe vaccination, or maybe both? This painting was about 4 sessions in the making.
I also finished a 4×4 of my friend Charly riding up in the Valle Vidal. The underpainting on this one was quite thorough and it was definitely a pleasure to paint on a canvas with the entire composition already sorted.
For the painting of tracker standing in a deluge of cold rain up in the ski valley, I don’t want to call it done til it is done, but I am afraid of royally mucking it up if I touch it. I suppose I’ll just see how I feel next week.
It is a beautiful thing to live and work amongst the treasured history of the Taos Art Society, Taos Art Colony, and to live and breathe in the same spaces, same air, same (but different) town. it gives a deep, fulfilling joy that I reckon is rare in these days of disconnect, distance, and digitalization.
So this morning, I sip my coffee in gratitude, as I watch the sun rise over these very same mountains.
Backcountry Cowgirl 