What a vacation we had. We headed out from South Carolina and traveled first to Austin, Tx. In two days with Chase the black lab riding with us. We made our usual stop in Vicksburg at the Best Western, which allows dogs. Then on to Texas. The minute I hit the border I became sick. Bob had to drive the whole trip. I don't know what was floating around, but I had flu +cold+allergy symptoms. By the time we spent another two days getting to Santa Fe I was so ill it was off to a 24 hour clinic. Being in such a high altitude did not help. We were there so I could take a 3 day workshop with Laura Robb. Now, I had paid for the hotel and the class and was determined to stick it out.
Laura Robb is an awesome artist by the way. She is sweet and gentle and does not force her ideas and knowledge on a painter. She guides and is so patient. Laura has a side business of taking on animals that the humane society says are non adoptable. She has two of the worst looking dogs. And a cat that can't use it's back legs so it has a wheel chair she straps on it. She said she had seen it chasing mice outside in it. She first looked at the area around Santa Fe with Gay Faulkenberry. That blew my mind that she knew her so well.
I can see why artists love Santa Fe. Stick around and the colors on the land change, it has awesome art stores. And wonderful galleries. A limitless supply of art classes and photo classes too.
We visited the art store to get all the paints she wanted us to try. They had them all!! The greenish yellow I couldn't even get on line.!! I decided to pick up some Cotton roll to make my own canvas from now on. I could do it.!! And they really helped me on which one to get.
All the women at the class were so sweet and so different in the place they were painting. Some had just gotten home from Painting in France. How awesome it that.!! Brave ladies I say.
We spent three days just working on painting a pear or two or three that looked ready to pop off the canvass and into your mouth. Laura's demo and lecture is still fresh in my mind. Her reasons for painting the way she does made total sense. We were welcome to try her palate knives, or paint or whatever she uses. I had no idea she painted with the knives so extensively. She is the second class, the first being Todd Williams that uses it so much.
Between the coughing and hacking and blowing and wiping the watery eyes, I made it through the class. We left and headed on a straight trip for two days to Colorado. I never got to open my paints again. Just too sick. My pears sat in the back of the truck until we returned to South Carolina. Bob took them out and I was totally surprised at how good they had turned out. I thought I had 6 paintings that were a total waste of canvass. NOT!!
The truck has been put to bed this trip. It will stay put and make no more long trips. The Oklahoma Doves packed themselves into a mini van ( 4 artists + supplies + clothes) and unlike us made the trip up and back in one day. So we broke down and added a Honda odyesey to our fleet. The silver bullet. Only I can't call it that because Jeremy already calls his car that. Steph suggested the Vandavan. haha. The granddaughters like the car and it's buttons and video machine.
I am totally hooked on greenish yellow by the way. The brand that starts with H. the tubes are very small and very expensive. But excellent quality.
I learned to add some gambasol to some linseed oil in working on the canvass. A little cup full. 10-1 ratio.
While in Sante Fe we went to Laura's gallery to see her paintings. One of the students, and by her own right a wonderful artist, Gail, wanted to buy one of Laura's paintings. Two trips later she picked out a lovely piece. And Laura's latest painting also. Bob and I picked out a totally different artist. The painting is called "Arroyo Seco Adobes" by Walt Gonske. It arrived today and it is just beautiful. He has a paint mobile when painting outside. I guess that is a whole story in itself. His strokes are just breath taking. You have to stand back to enjoy his paintings to the fullest. I have 4 water colors of Santa Fe buildings. ( adobe etc.) And I just sigh looking at his art. Such inspiration.!!
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