On the Road to the White Place

I continue to return to paintings of New Mexico.  There is something of the landscape and my 2009 trip that continues to inspire me.  At the time I had hoped to be able to sketch and paint at Georgia O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiu, but I learned from the guide before the ticketed tour that this was not allowed.  The tour is beautifully managed and fascinating and since the property is so small, I could understand why it would not be possible.  The guide was very helpful and told me of other places where Georgia painted in the area.  One, not far away, was the White Place.  To get there I drove along a winding road brilliantly lit by golden cottonwoods set against an intensely blue sky.

The scene stayed with me and about a year later I tried to capture the scene in pastel during a workshop with Wolf Kahn that I was lucky enough to attend at the National Academy of Design School in New York one snowy January.   I wanted to take what I learned in the workshop and see what I could make of this memory.  This is my third attempt and I like to think I have caught the moment.