We’re down to the final stretch at the 19th annual Sedona Plein Air Festival. At this point, I haven’t the energy to wax philosophical, so I’ll just tell you a little story about each of these paintings, in the order in which I completed them.
I can’t remember the title of the painting above. It was the first one I painted, and the first one I’ve sold. This is the painting where Casey Cheuvront and I were entertained by a series of spirit guides, which I wrote about here. I remain stubbornly unenlightened.
Early Light is of the building next to the Sedona Arts Center. To my eyes, it’s the most authentic building in downtown Sedona. The Jordan Family built it of red rock in 1938 to house their retail operations; their former fruit-processing barn is now part of the Sedona Arts Center. I doubt they could envision that it would one day offer Intuitive Psychic Readings or Reiki, Energy and Chakra Balancing, among other things. It’s 11X14, oil on archival canvasboard, available through Sedona Arts Center.
Since my rental car was upgraded to a Jeep, Ed Buonvecchio, Casey and I decided to drive up Schnebly Hill Road. This track used to be the road to Flagstaff; today it’s barely fit for a high-clearance Jeep. It took us an hour to get to our destination, and we barely had teeth left. Heading down in the failing light, I realized I only had my sunglasses with me. Casey watched for obstacles while I steered. “Did you see that person on the side of the road?” she asked me. Ahem.
“It’s actually a little smoother if you take the washboards a little faster,” Casey told me. So, I did. “I didn’t mean the rocks!” she cried. Dusk at the Merry-Go-Round is 11X14, oil on archival canvasboard, available through Sedona Arts Center.
Pensive is an 8X10 which I did as a demo on Sunday, in concert with Hadley Rampton. “How did you feel when you were painting it?” a member of the audience asked.
“Larky,” I answered.
“That’s not larky; it’s pensive,” he replied. I didn’t realize I was pensive; I thought I was having a great time, but sometimes your subconscious has a mind of its own. Available through Sedona Arts Center.
I’ve been praying for peace for Israel and Ukraine. My friend told me that there were prayer flags along the trail near the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park. Frankly, I was attracted to the bright colors fluttering among the piñons and junipers, but why not pray for peace while you’re painting in a peace park? Peace is 8X16, and available through Sedona Arts Center.
The Beauty of the Rocks is 11X14, and was painted along Oak Creek behind L’Auberge de Sedona, which is a very swank resort. There’s one classic view, looking upstream, but I painted that last year. Why not drop down into a fissure and paint the diagonal gap in the rocks instead? Of course, I couldn’t back up to look at my work without killing myself, so I periodically called to Laura Martinez-Bianco to ask her if passages needed changing. This committee approach to painting apparently works; I’m pleased with both the color and composition.
I have to select three pieces for judging. Although I’ve still got two more days to paint, I’m interested in your opinion. What do you like best, and why?
My 2024 workshops:
- Painting in Paradise: Rockport, ME, July 8-12, 2024.
- Sea & Sky at Schoodic, August 4-9, 2024.
- Find your authentic voice in plein air: Berkshires, August 12-16, 2024.
- Art and Adventure at Sea: Paint Aboard Schooner American Eagle, September 15-19, 2024.
- Immersive In-Person Workshop: Rockport, ME, October 7-11, 2024.
The beauty of the rocks
Peace flags
The one you can’t remember the name
All of your paintings this week have a wonderful sense of place and season. It feels like you are having fun with the canvas and your surroundings. Almost like a dance between the two. I picked those three because I liked the lines, shapes & colors and I liked the verticality of Peace Flags.
Peace- for sure- One because of the intent. Two the strong diagonals stop me in my tracks and force me to head another way- perhaps what needs to happen on the world stage? Love is the way and it is so easily tramped on, set aside and forgotten.
I like #1 best; great composition, nice color, nice light. This was tough. Despite having lived in Colorado for 4 years I’m not a red rocks fan,
I like your “Peace” painting the best. It was the one where I had an emotional response. In addition, it was the composition and colors capturing the red clay with the light and shadows highlighting the many color flags.
Well executed!!!!
Sorry to hear about your problems, hoping for things to resolve in a way that’s better than before. Painting does help take the mind off sad or troubling issues.
I like Early Light best. Beautiful! And also the one you can’t remember the name to. You may be “unenlightened” but your paintings show the same energy and spirit – you just use another name. As the Navaho’s say ” Beauty all around me”
Peace. I was reminded of a birthday party, colored streamers fluttering in the breeze. Then reminded of the Himalayas where they hang Tibetan prayer flags, which reminded me of the hundred plus crosses along the road in Lahaina, Maui. Such times we live in. Let us take a moment to pray for the situation in the middle east. That cool heads would prevail. I like the energy of the piece, how it drags you back and forth across the canvas. The more you look, the more you see, and yet the viewer stands in an intimate space.
Probably why I like the merry-go-round as well. The magnificent opulence for the eyes of the area yet we view it from a personal space.
I love Peace. It struck me more than the others when I saw it, due to the composition with diagonals and verticals. The colors are stunning together and you use them in a way that makes your eye move around the canvas. The emotions you feel about the situation and the emotions you felt when painting this show strongly. That’s mainly why I like it.
I like the one where you cannot remember the title, Peace and Beauty of the Rocks. Good balance of warm and cool colors, contrast of the pink rocks against the foliage. And I love the narrative of the flags in Peace.
I like the first untitled one. Color, composition, atmosphere. I also think it is the loosest most naturally flowing and cohesive.
Early Light also gave me a peaceful feeling and others enjoy it as much I do. Having said that Peace is masterful .
Mark and I combined our replies.
He chose Pensive and Peace
I chose Peace and Merry go Round.
Me; Peace…just like the composition and shape, and Merry go Round, I love the cactus in the foreground. What can I say, I love cactus.
Mark, Pensive, contrast between the blue background and warm colored foreground. Peace, the geometrics of it..angles.
Hi,
I like the first one you said you couldn’t remember the name of, then Peace, then Dusk at the Mercy go round.