Return to Plein Air...Painting!

View from Coronado State Monument #2, 2013. SOLD

The weather has been lovely in New Mexico this month, and great for painting outdoors. 

The Plein Air Painters of New Mexico scheduled a "paintout" for the group on Saturday, May 4, at Coronado State Monument. This is a historic site, where in 1540 Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—with 300 soldiers and 800 Indian allies from "New Spain"—in his search for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, came across a Tiwa settlement inhabited by native peoples instead. Adjacent to the Visitors Center are "new" ruins, reconstructed over the original pueblo ruins, along with a room full of kiva murals excavated in the 1930s by WPA workers.

This is a wonderful location for painting since there is a clear view of the Sandia Mountains, and the site slopes down to the Rio Grande River, lined with old—some very old—cottonwoods. (I can imagine the Conquistadores watering their horses at the river, or napping in the cool shade.) There are also a few scattered picnic tables with ramada covers to provide some shade.

The painting posted today is my second attempt to paint the Sandia Mountains as viewed from Coronado State Monument.  With great clouds floating over the ridge of peaks, the play of light, dark, and color was fun to capture on canvas. I hope you enjoy this painting.

Thanks for visiting my blog and have a great day!

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Text and photo ©2013 Carol L. Adamec. All rights reserved.