A very quick blog here -- we are departing for New York City tomorrow early to see the J.M.W. Turner exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I cannot wait to see this -- I love Turner's work!!!!!  Gush, gush, gush!  

Here is a totally different turn from Turner (bad pun, sorry!).  It's the "Antelope Canyon" once more, a different take.  I honestly must urge to you to go and see this marvelous place on a Najavo Reservation near Lake Powell.  You will not regret it! 

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In Arizona, there are vast areas of desert.  That's obvious.  There are  also what look to be mounds of rocks that appear innocuous.  No big deal.   We are on the shuttle bus from the local town with about 15 other people.  It's hot, dry, dusty.  Gab, gab, gab.  Where are you from?  Do you like it there?  And so on.... 

There's our destination.  In the middle of nowhere, we exit the bus.  Ugh, dry dust all around.  This looks anything but exciting.  If what the photographs show of this place even approach the truth, it's worth the trip....to the middle of nowhere... 

Okay, walk through here.  Wow, it's a slit in the rocks.  No, more of a slot in the rocks.  Take your pick.  Take a peek!  It's sort of cavernous in a small way.  Look up, you can see sunlight.  Our guide shows us to kick up a bit of dust and the shaft of light becomes magical as the sun catches the bits of dust, very eerie, very, very pretty. 

This sandstone is all worn down from water dripping, and becomes abstracted.  You can see various layers of color, no straight lines, and it's blissful to attempt to paint it. 

You are in Antelope Canyon in Arizona.  Unlike any other place that I've seen.  Fragile, beautiful, inspirational, ancient.  Enjoy yourself. 

For now it's time to leave, but we'll be back again.  I didn't even get to paint Zion yet!  Hard to believe, it's so lovely there, very unusual rock formations.  A hard place to describe, no words that I can think of are appropriate to the vastness and uniqueness of this country. 

So, for now, I'll say goodbye to another state with red soil and blue skies, much like parts of my beloved Colorado, but with its own special charms.  A quick stop in Arizona, very quick, will follow...kick up some dust (you'll see what I mean!), then back to my favorite state for a roadside tour of Colorful Colorado, my birthplace and beloved abode. 

While the painting is entitled "Entering Utah II", it might also be aptly named "Leaving Utah".  Bye for now. 

Outside of Moab, Utah, a charming little town, one can visit The Arches National Park.  While there, hike around the rocky surfaces, take a look at the Three Gossips (or Three Sisters, depending on whose name you believe).  Are they talking about you? 

Then continue on with your walk.  You'll see lots of arches, the most famous of which is Delicate Arch.  This structure almost glows in the distance.  People hike to it, something I didn't do, but I did catch glimpses of it more closely through my zoom lens.  That doesn't count but I am honestly not the best hiker, a much better photographer. 

The first time we visited The Arches was in the mid-1970's and I would not be at all surprised if some of the rocks had completely crumbled away from any given rock formation or arch.  That's the point:  these structures are natural architecture ravaged by time, wind, sun, rain, temperature, all of the natural elements.  In another thousand years the monuments will look completely different.  It's all fluid, so to speak.  Time never really does stand still (consider all the cosmetic surgeries done on people trying to make it stand still!  Give it up, folks, it ain't going to happen -- sorry, had to editorialize there!) 

So, drive, fly, whatever it takes, go to The Arches National Park now and see what time has done so far -- it's a truly austere but rich and beautiful place and it shouldn't be missed.  At any time. 

When I think of Utah, blue skies and red rocks dominate.  However, once in a while, you see some drama swirling overhead.   One day, while visiting Capitol Reef, that is exactly what we saw.  Now you can see the painting of that day to your left. 

Wouldn't it be nice to just land on a cloud (alive!) and buzz around making different shapes in the sky?  (One day I saw a little Mini Cooper in the sky.  The day before a bunny rabbit.  And, of course, we all see the giant cotton puffs.)  Back to your cloud life:  Now remember that you are floating above the Capitol Reef!  Look down and see the vibrant cliffs -- reds, ochres, mustards, pinks.  People are swarming around, oohing and aahing at the petroglyphs, the yucca plants, the wild evening primroses scattered about.  As the people on the ground are thrilled to be there, so are you, sitting pretty among the dramatic clouds that entice people such as myself to paint them. 

What a grand life we have!

Hot, dry, dusty.  Must be at least 98 degrees or more outside this car.  Where in the world are you going?  There's nothing here!  Wait, really, what gives here?  There's no paved road!  It's an old dirt road.  Are you sure you really want to turn in here?  You're making me very nervous! 

Wow!  Look at these gigantic rock formations!  It looks like the earth just erupted and spewed out some pyramids or something!  I have never seen anything like this anywhere!  What are these things?  Where are we? 

Why, we're in Utah, in the Valley of the Gods.  It must be what Egypt looks like, but I'm not sure about that, as I've never been to Egypt.  Only saw the pictures in the books as a kid.  This is amazing!  I don't think I've ever known anyone who's been here before.  Really cool! 

YOU should go and see it! 



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Capitol Reef has numerous canyons which one can hike and discover petroglyphs carved into the sandstone numerous years ago, most likely by the indigenous people of this continent.  What a way to converse, leave messages, memories!  Artworks on sandstone walls. 

The name of the flowers in the painting to your left is a mystery to me but I remember them as being a very dark purple with red hues.  Yellow evening primrose grow wild in the Reef.  Wild roses, scrub,  succulents, and others appear to thrive on dust!  Apparently the infrequent rain is just enough to nourish these plants.  It seems that rocks grow in this terrain more than plants could -- rocks that crumble from the cliffs, eventually turning into sandy dust under your feet.  It's a magnificent land, one very much worth the visit.  Blue skies above, surrounded by ancient lands.  Extraordinary beauty. 

Cliffs.  Chameleon colors.  Light shadows.  Deeper shadows.  Sandstone.  Hollows.  Brush.  Scrub.  Dust.  Clouds.  Cobalt.  Azure.  Ruddy.  Red.  Ochre.  Dry.  Flash.  Floods. 

All of those words come to mind when remembering Capitol Reef.  I don't think it's visited as much as Zion or The Arches are.  It should be, though.  Honestly, it is incredibly beautiful.  Austere and mysterious simultaneously.   Easy to get lost in the isolated feeling of it.  I could be a spokesperson for Capitol Reef!  No, I'd rather just try to paint it! 

Have fun in the colorful cliffs.  Enjoy the breeze.  Realize the heat.  Beware of the heat.  Drink your water!  See the numerous blues in the sky.  Walk up and down the dry gulches but avoid the rare flash floods.  Hike your heart out.  Photograph the wonders.  Paint the scene.  Do this:   Have fun!  See you Monday, back at the Reef! 

Catchy phrase above, huh?  This blog is actually about the new state I'm visiting on the art tour road trip.  And what is that state, Karla?  Glad you asked, tourist!  It's Utah! 


Utah borders Colorado and kisses New Mexico at the Four Corners.  Utah is the desert rat state....people who love deserts are called desert rats, so no one should be insulted here!  Utah has bright blue skies, lots of canyons, cliffs, colors.  All of this is perfect for painting and hiking and in some parts of the state, skiing!  (Being a native Coloradan, I do not ski!) 


So...here we go....hang on to your hats, folks, because we're gonna have some fun!  Whooppee!!!!

Well, soon we'll be back on the road, on to another spot to paint.  I'll leave that a mystery for now, but will entice you with this: it's another of my favorite places!

Dusk, the end of the day, sunset -- the sweet time of the day.  One of my favorite painting subjects, sunsets just capture all the colors, the emotions of the day just finished.  We've made it through another one, good or bad day, doesn't matter.  Bring on the night, the restful, hopefully peaceful time.  Time to prepare for the next day's activities.  But savor the sunsets, please, they're only brief, much like our lives here on this planet. 

Please note my blog title today:  "Spoiled Woman!"  Said with emphasis, if you don't mind!  My husband sells fine wine:  I'm spoiled and loving it!  I make art:  Spoiled and loving it!  Have two great daughters:  Gotta love it!  And, yes, where I live, we have tons of sunshine!  That may not mean a lot to you, but it's enormous to me, having lived in dreary, grey, rainy environments some of my life. 


I thrive on the sun, the blue clouds, and the low humidity of Colorado.  Much like Santa Fe and all of New Mexico, we get 300 days of sunshine a year.  The sun energizes me.  When there are cloudy or overcast days, all I want to do is nap.  Give me that big ball of fire and I can work, play, think clearly, create all day and well into the night! 


So check out this painting, watch the clouds drift by into the turquoise sky and think of the beautiful energies that come from our friend, The Sun. 

To your left are some lovely flowers growing in a window box -- in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  The colors of the adobe have always intrigued me -- the tones run from off-white to yellowish to pink to orange-ish.  And the accents they use!  Turquoise, periwinkle, pink, orange, yellow! 

I firmly believe that color brightens everyone's day -- hence my saying "Life is short, use color!"  Think how dull it all would be to live in a world of black, white, and greys.  Poor cats, not seeing the world in color.  Lucky hummingbirds, particularly driven to see red! 

Another expression sums it up:  "Earth laughs in flowers!"  How true.  How colorful!

How could one NOT be happy when seeing these bright, cheery mailboxes?  Several years ago my husband and I were walking down Canyon Road, turned down a side street, and there they were -- the brightest, happiest looking, most colorful mailboxes I've ever seen!  My mailbox looks nothing like these do!  (Very bland, boring, governmental mailbox...I'm sure there are "regulations" about it.) 

In the "About the Artist" page, I note:  "Life is short, use color!"  I think that's really true.  We're born, we live, we die.  As I told my younger daughter recently, it's that middle part that's important.  Use color in your short, blessed life!

As you drive along the interstate highway in New Mexico, you'll be driving on the high plains or prairie.  There are "arroyos", or small dry creek beds, everywhere.  And then there are the mesas, Spanish for "table".  These mesas are elevated  flat "tables", cliffs usually dropping to one side.  When I worked for scientists in Boulder, Colorado, I worked on "Table Mesa", which is something like saying "table table".  Redundant, but you get the point. 

My recollections of driving through New Mexico always involve  mesas.  They run throughout that state and are also found in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.  Mesas are dry looking with pines and sage growing on them.  I think of them as very dusty, reminiscent of deserts.  This is typical arid terrain -- you can see where adobe originates. 

I made up this painting -- strictly out of my imagination, this one.  But to me these mesas are truly magical.  Dusks and sunsets are among my favorite painting subjects.  So, please, enjoy the early evening dusk over my mesas.  And I'll see you tomorrow! 

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So, here we are in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico.  It's a hot, dry, sunny August day and a lovely flower, Russian Sage, is in bloom in our garden in Colorado.  Lo and behold, it's also in bloom here in Santa Fe. 

Looking down from the sidewalk, I see the flesh colored adobe with cottonwood trees around, swaying slightly from just a touch of a breeze.  What else is there to look at?  The tall sweeps of miniature  lavender-like flowers on the sage green bushes.  It's not the easiest scene to capture but I feel that I possibly did it justice. 

And I've taken a bit of Santa Fe, New Mexico, home with me.  

I began my art blog with this pastel painting and thought it would be  appropriate to begin my road trip with the same artwork.  There is one simple fact here:  I love Santa Fe.  I have loved this unique town since 1973, when I lived in New Jersey and my husband and I traveled to the West to visit my relatives and see the sights.  The first time I had real green chili, I almost died.  Drank gallon of milk following that episode (okay, so I exaggerate a bit!).  Saw adobe, hanging ristras, Canyon Road, Taos reservation.  I could go on and on. 

My dear friend, Kate, and I traveled to Santa Fe last spring and, lo and behold, this lovely crabapple was in full bloom against my beloved adobe.  It just seemed to epitomize all the best of this town to me, so it's my visual gift to you. 

See you tomorrow with more of Canyon Road (most noted for art).  Adios for now!

I thought it might be fun to switch gears from food art to travelling art.  By travelling art, I mean getting out on the road and seeing new or familiar vistas, later painting fond memories of them. 

How about a road trip?  Nothing quite like packing the bags, grabbing the maps (we don't do the GPS yet) and heading out.  Naturally, better these days to have a hybrid car for anything with great distance, as the gas prices are out of sight!  But just pretend that all is reasonable -- here we go!  (Mommy, Daddy:  Are we there yet?????)

Okay, here are some apples,  green, probably Granny Smith, apples.  Good for your body.  (Funky colors to me -- green/yellow.  Don't like painting those colors, can be overbearing.)  So these apples are good for your body.  Keep the doctors away, I hear.  Don't know that for sure, as I don't eat that many of them.  They're okay, but need just a tad bit of work, for my taste. 

However, peel them, core them, slice them, put sugar on them (brown or white), mix into a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves, throw under some crust, and bake -- and what do you have?  Delicious, scrumptious, and satisfying home comfort food. 

Do the same with your oil paints, pastels, or whatever -- you end up with a marvelous painting!  More food -- but for the soul!


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Back here on the pastel art food tour of the grocery store, we return to our lovely cheese aisle. 


Sometimes it seems as if the rind of the cheese is as intriguing as the cheese itself.  Look at the lovely colors here, the bold black letters sitting on the bright primary colors that all artists must use to produce other, secondary, or even tertiary, colors!  Someone sat down and decided that "this is it!  This is what will generate some good attention for our delectable, tasty, strong but gently so, and most wonderful cheese, fromage, whatever!"  Who was this person?  How long ago did it happen?  Centuries ago?  Port Salut has been around quite a while and is a staple in France.  If you haven't had any, you really must give it a try! 


And when you do eat some, remember, someone years ago packaged this wonderful product, full of flavor and wonderful color, both in the culinary and the artistic sense.  Bon appetit! 

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My hypothesis:  I believe that our "citric stars", lemons and limes, are essentially taken for granted by those who partake of culinary delights, somewhat reminiscent of how we might tend to take one another for granted in a relationship, be it a marriage, friendship, parent/child, and so on. 

Just think about it:  when subtly but correctly used, a lemon or lime adds a zestful taste to a dish.  When added as a garnish, what a lovely and colorful addition!  If you should use either citrus fruit either too lightly or too heavily, beware!  It can make "disagreeable" food, overbearing or lacking in taste. 

Isn't that how it works with our relationships sometimes?  Just the right amount of attention is perfect, too little or too much can be overpowering?  This can obviously be applied to art, also -- moderation is the key much of the time, something subtle, perhaps, to add just the right amount of texture, tone, or color.  

Just some passing thoughts, no great theories here....Ah, to the lemons and limes of our times! 


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So....my husband and I were in Italy about 13 years ago, our first trip there.  Lovely!  The food was marvelous, except I wasn't wild about the way they cooked the roast turkey, a bit dry for my taste.  It was a regional dish, though, had to be polite.  Other than that, everything was top notch! 

Breakfast was fun.  I was able to say "cafe grande Americano con leche por favore" or something for "a cup of coffee, please".  That was the extent of my Italian.  Out come the jams, butter, croissants or muffins, Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut cream), and our freshly squeezed orange juice. 

Only this orange juice is unlike any I've ever had before -- it's red!  What in the world?????  Turns out it's made from "blood oranges" from Sicily!  Delicioso!  Bella!  You know what else?  Now they serve it at the Rome Airport all the time -- freshly squeezed, pop those blood oranges into the machine, out comes this wonderful, red, tasty orange juice!  Worth the trip to Italy!  Ciao for now!

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Caveat:  My kitten, Zooby, pounced on me an hour earlier than usual this morning.  My cat, Carmelita, kept growling at the kitten earlier than usual today.  (I wonder if they'll ever get along!)  The puppy down the street started barking earlier than usual this morning.  Then the phone started ringing.  I am a groggy artist.  Therefore:  You get a groggy blog.  Sorry about that.  I'll return to the pastel art food tour tomorrow. 

The poppies above are reminiscent of all of the poppies I've ever seen.  They're painted solely with palette knives, no brushes, as brushes and I don't really get along too well.  If you've been following my blogs, you know that the poppies are really my favorite flowers to paint, along with irises.  I'm working on others, but there's nothing like a little scarlet petal to cheer me up!  Enjoy the smiles! 

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