Trampas Lake in the Pecos Wilderness

16 X 12 

Oil on Linen Panel 

Reference photograph by Karen Jokela 

Karen and her husband spend a fair amount of time on horseback so they get to see beautiful sights the rest of us ooh and aah over. The Pecos Wilderness is an area of New Mexico I've never been to. I don't know if the rocks have a separate name, but they are my focus for this painting.

Lilacs in Spring 

16 X 12 

Oil on Linen Panel 

Reference photograph by Daniel Edmondson

I painted this same reference photograph two years ago and it didn't get easier.  I wanted this one to look really different, but the paintings are really quite similar, although for reasons other than I expected. My pot is definitely more coppery this time and the bowl got a gold edge. Last time I used a lot more green leaves to connect the bowl with the bouquet. 

Blackwater Canyon 

18 X 12 

Oil on Cotton Canvas 

Reference photograph was taken by Julie Carter

Blackwater Canyon is on the family ranch 5 miles off the main road on a rather rocky road between Arabella and Tinnie, New Mexico. The family was rather surprised to find that this amount of water was actually in the reference photograph. New Mexico is very short on water. The Capitan Mountains are in the background.

Day Lilies

16 X 12

Oil on Linen Panel

These flowers were at a roadside park near Council Bluffs, IA. I had to ask lots of people before I found out what kind of flowers they are. The small flowers were an unexpected bonus. They are said to grow easily and everywhere, but I don't remember seeing any before.

Early Morning in the Guadalupes 

10X10 
Oil on Linen Panel

Reference photo by Pascal Enjady

This painting is intended as a tribute to my Apache friends I met while teaching at Mescalero Apache School.