Friday, November 6, 2009

Where I Get My Ideas



Like any artist I get my share of questions about where I get my ideas for paintings. And I have shared some of that here on this blog. But because of my "visionary use of color" I often get questions about where did I get the idea for an orange sky or a sun washed  church. The above photograph was taken out my studio door yesterday morning. Such dawns are not rare in New Mexico.

And sunsets have their own charm as they often wash the mountains with color. The Sandia Mountains outside of Albuquerque were named Sandia (watermelon) by the early Spanish conquerors because of the watermelon pink they can turn at sunset.

I live in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) Mountains for much the same reason. They can and often do turn blood read at sunset. Angel Fire was a term first used by much more recent locals to describe the heavenly pink the mountains, snow and clouds can turn at both dawn and sunset.

So the answer to the question, "Where do you get your colors?" is outside my studio windows.

3 comments:

  1. This definitely is a lovely post. the photograph is fantastic. I have seen some sunrises and sunsets in my time but there are some that are just more phenomenal that others and this is one of them.

    Interesting that you live in an area so named!

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  2. I think I need to get up earlier!

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  3. You also can see from that photograph why "pouring" your skys, clouds, sun, moon, etc. is so apro po! Really beautiful sunrise, too.

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I appreciate all kind comments on my art and poetry.