Category Archives: ART BOX

Welcome to Stan Berning Studio and ART BOX

901 C Canyon Road / Santa Fe, NM 87501

928-460 2611 / stan@stanberning.com

portraitatveton

Mr. Berning, a resident of Santa Fe since 1981, is a well known artist, author, teacher, and former gallery owner .  His works have been exhibited in such diverse locations as San Francisco, Paris, and New York’s Lincoln Center.  In 2005 his paintings became the focus of the film OFF THE MAP starring Joan Allen and Sam Elliott.  Also in 2005 he began a year long journey up the west coast of North America.  Experiences during this time became the foundation for his memoir about art, which was written over the next three years.

Evocative of the New Mexico landscape with its sweeping vistas and ever changing light, these most recent oil, egg tempera, and watercolor paintings are the result of a fifteen year process described in the entry “A Figurative Derivation”.

Artist Statement:  

Being a painter, I was born in 1951 already an antique.  After a lifetime of creating images in this post modern world I have come to champion no ism’s.  Taking to heart my eighty year old friend’s reminder that his generation made sure everything had been done, I have proceeded to do everything in each painting.  The resulting fifteen oil paintings, though inevitably stamped with my distinctive aesthetic voice, travel freely through various fields of contemporary exploration.  Accepting that the act of working in paint will result in the echo of vaguely familiar imagery from past painters has released me from the tyrannical demand for newness and, ironically, opened the process to a multitude of possibilities embodied in each individual painting.  If it has all been done before there is no territory worth defending.  One either stands on shifting sands, or swims.

Stan Berning
April 2017

A Brief Bio

Available Plein Air watercolors / 2020 – present

Many of the paintings completed in this series have sold making viewing of the remaining images difficult. This entry of only available work will update regularly.

All paintings are 18″ x 24″ on 24″ x 30″ paper unless otherwise noted.

Mercurial Noon

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Treeline / Abiquiu

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Down From Truchas

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Winter Range / From Santa Clara Pueblo

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Winter Storm / Black Mesa

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Placer Mountain Gray

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Dawn / Sun and Moon

12″ x 16″

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Storm Approach / Los Barrancos

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Autumn in a Halcyon Year

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Tree Line / View South / Abiquiu

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Winter / Cerro Bonanza

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Nambe Badlands West

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View to Truchas Peak from Santa Clara Pueblo

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View to the River / La Cienega

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Autumn Fields / Abiquiu

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Winter Cottonwoods / Abiquiu

12″ x 16″

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Blue Pedernal #2

12″ x 16″

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The View East / Espanola Valley

12″ x 16″

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To Dream of the Jemez

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The View West / Miami

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Bright Afternoon / Springer

Pedernal / View to the Lake #1

12″ x 16″

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Early Morning / Galisteo Basin

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View West to Soletta

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Ghosts / The White Place

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Cliffs at Otowi

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Bright Afternoon / Pedernal

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Morning / Black Mesa

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An Afternoon Clarified

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View to Caja de Rio Plateau

Summer Bosque / Road to Lyden

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White Cliffs / Abiquiu

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Summer Arroyo / San Felipe

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Lifting Storm Over Placer Mountain

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Valley Travel / Abiquiu

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Afternoon Showers / Ghost Ranch

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Controlled Burn / El Rito

12″ x 16″

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Low Stratus / View to the North

12″ x 16″

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Sandia Blue

12″ x 16″

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Canyon Showers / Abiquiu

12″ x 16″

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A Glimpse of the River

12″ x 16″

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San Felipe / After the Rain

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Winter Tree Stand / La Mesilla Three

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Long View to the Sandias

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Spring Fields / Abiquiu

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Canyon Showers

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From Paseo de la Cuma

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Last Snow

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The View North to La Bajada

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Road to Lyden / Gray Day

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Into The Valley

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Perfect Cloud

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View to the River / Between Storms

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Winter Shadow / Sierra Negra

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Winter Looking South / Galisteo Basin

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Behind the Tree / Sun

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Autumn / La Cienega

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The View South / Showers

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Summer Pasture / Abiquiu Inn

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Morning Overlook / Espanola Valley II

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Monsoon Summer / Midday

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Long View / St Peters Dome

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Dome Wilderness / South Gate

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The Ghosts of La Cienega

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Sandia Blue 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Long View to Pojoaque / Early Light 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Monsoon Summer / Cerrillos Hills 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Early A.M. / La Cienega 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Early A.M. / Sierra Negra 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Early A.M. / Cerrillos Hills #2 18″ x 24″ 2021


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View to La Bajada Hill II

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Monsoon Summer / Cerro de la Cruz

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Early A.M. / Cerrillos Hills 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Receding Canyons / Jemez Range 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Stepping East to Sierra Negra 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Cerro de la Cruz / Snow Storm 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Patriarchs 18″ x 24″ 2021

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View South to the Sandia Range 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Long View North From Bonanza Ranch 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Long View East From La Bajada 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Long View South From La Bajada 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Long View West From Golden 18″ x 24″ 2021

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TRIPTYCH

Lot 32 / Bridge Two / Sangre de Cristo Range 1

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Lot 32 / Bridge Two / Sangre de Cristo Range 2

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Lot 32 / Bridge Two / Sangre de Cristo Range 3

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Mesa Montosa / Noon Light 18″ x 24″ 2021

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Black Mesa watercolor 18″ x 24″ each 2020

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Overlook Park / South View 19″ x 24″ 2020

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Long View North / Abiquiu Lake 18″ x 24″ 2020

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Dusk / Conejos Canyon 18″ x 24″ 2020

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Vista Looking West / Highway 64 18″ x 24″ 2020



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Gateway to Cumbres Pass

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Aspen Stand / The Curtain 18″ x 24″ 2020

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View to the Ortiz Mountains II

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View to the Jemez Range

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Plein air / 2022 – 2023

Treeline / Abiquiu

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Mercurial Noon

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Down From Truchas

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Winter Range / From Santa Clara Pueblo

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Winter Storm / Black Mesa

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Placer Mountain Gray

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Dawn / Sun and Moon

Road To Lyden / Autumn

sold

Storm Approach / Los Barrancos

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Autumn in a Halcyon Year

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Tree Line / View South / Abiquiu

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Winter Cottonwoods / Abiquiu

12″ x 16″

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Winter / Cerro Bonanza

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Nambe Badlands West

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View to Truchas Peak from Santa Clara Pueblo

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View to the River / La Cienega

Autumn Fields / Abiquiu

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The View East to Cerro Bonanza Four

sold

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Autumn Tree Stand / Jacona

sold

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Pedernal / View to the Lake #3

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Blue Pedernal #2

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The View East / Espanola Valley

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To Dream of the Jemez

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The View West / Miami

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Bright Afternoon / Springer

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Dusk / Miami

sold

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The Gate at “Point of Rocks”

12″ x 16″ sold

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From the Mesa

sold

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Early Morning / Galisteo Basin

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Pedernal / View to the Lake #1

12″ x 16″

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Pedernal / View to the Lake #2

12″ x 16″ sold

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Morning View South

9″ x 12″ sold

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Ghosts / The White Place

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The View East to Cerro Bonanza Three

sold

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View West to La Solute

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Sunrise / Nambe Badlands

sold

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Cliffs at Otomi

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Bright Afternoon / Pedernal

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Morning / Black Mesa

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View to Caja de Rio Plateau

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An Afternoon Clarified

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Summer Bosque / Road to Lyden

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Summer Arroyo / San Felipe

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White Cliffs / Abiquiu

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Afternoon / Galisteo Preserve

sold

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Afternoon Showers / Ghost Ranch

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High Desert Clarification

sold

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Valley Travel / Abiquiu

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Alameda

12″ x 16″ sold

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Controlled Burn / El Rito

12″ x16″

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Low Stratus / View to the North

12″ x 16″

High Water / Abiquiu Reservoir

12″ x 16″ sold

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Showers Over Rio Chama

12″ x 16″ sold

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Sandia Blue

12″ x 16″

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Canyon Showers / Abiquiu

12″ x 16″

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A Glimpse to the River

12″ x 16″

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San Felipe / After the Rain

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Bright Day / Ghost Ranch

sold

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Frog Song

sold

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Winter Tree Stand / La Mesilla Three

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Blue Paternal

sold

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Long View to the Sandias

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Clear Day / Paternal

sold

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View South From La Bajada

sold

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Spring Fields / Abiquiu

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Canyon Showers

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From Paseo de la Cuma

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Last Snow

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Abiquiu Inn / Cottonwood Grove

sold

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Sangre de Cristo / Winter Dressed

sold

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The View North to La Bajada

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The View East to Cerro Bonanza Two

sold

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Road to Lyden / Gray Day

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Into The Valley

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Lifting Storm Over Placer Mountain

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Winter Shadow / Sierra Negra

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Black Mesa / Clarified

sold

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View to the River / Between Storms

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Perfect Cloud

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Morning View East From Pojoaque

sold

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Winter Arroyo / San Felipe

sold

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Winter View to Pajarito

sold

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On a Bright Day / a Candle

sold

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Arroyo Jacona

sold

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Black Mesa / Winter’s Shadow

sold

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Santa Clara Two

sold

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Santa Clara

sold

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Winter Looking South / Cerrillos Hills

sold

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Winter Looking South / Galisteo Basin

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Behind the Tree / Sun

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Winter / Clear Day

sold

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Autumn / La Cienega

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Late Autumn / Road to Lyden

sold

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View South from the Galisteo Basin

sold

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Monsoon Summer / Green Hill

sold

From the Foothills / Ridgetop Road

sold

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Brilliant Day Two / Long View

sold

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Brilliant Day

sold

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Heading North Into the Rio Grande Valley

sold

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Cumulus Building

sold

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The View South / Showers

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La Bajada

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Storms South

sold

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Monsoon Green / Placer Mountain

sold

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Summer Pasture / Abiquiu Inn

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Tetilla Peak in Shadows


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Monsoon Summer / Ghost Ranch

sold

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Monsoon Summer / Midday

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Monsoon Summer / Desert Green

sold

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Monsoon Summer / View to the Jemez Complex

sold

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Monsoon Summer / View to the Sangre de Cristo

sold

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Santa Fe Valley / Blue Monsoon II

sold

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Morning Overlook / Espanola Valley II


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Perfect Blue

sold

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Jemez Complex / Winter Dressed / View South, West, North

sold

The Jemez Complex is an extinct super volcano. It was created one million years ago in a series of massive explosions. What remains is a mountain of remarkably varied topography. Here, seen from Lower Pacheco Canyon, 20 miles away, the mountain range presents itself in its greatest majesty. These paintings were completed late in the afternoon on consecutive days.

While each panel stands well on its own, I am fascinated by how they speak to each other, lending a transcendent layer of complexity to the whole; this while its palette captures perfectly this blue-steel, mid-winter light.

Jemez Complex / Winter Dressed / View South

sold

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Jemez Complex / Winter Dressed / View West

sold

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Jemez Complex / Winter Dressed / View North

sold

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Bright Winter / Sangre de Cristo Range

This winter sun, under clear skies, reflected off snow covered mountains can be blinding.

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Metallic Sunset / Pena Blanca

sold

This view, looks out over agricultural fields which end in a tree line where the Rio Grande River runs through. The foothills of the southern end of the Jemez Range rise in the distance. Done the day before a snow storm, bands of high clouds were moving in from the west.

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Long View / St Peters Dome

“Long View / St Peters Dome” is another painting from the Cochiti Village paint site. Cliffs of blasted earth have been smoothed by a million years into these powerful undulating forms. They were too distant to truly be capture in this painting. Still, I managed to find some of their magnitude.

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Dome Wilderness / South Gate

I try not to be sentimental. As an artist, it is a mistake to place too much emotional or psychic meaning into these places I visit. It simply does not help with the work. While painting this view from Cochiti Village a thought kept needling my brain. ‘This is not just a distant view of the plateaus from which the Rio Grande River emerges from the Jemez Range, but rather there is some portal here’. I was delighted then to later discover its name: Dome Wilderness / South Gate.

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One Shadow / Placer Mountain


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Black Mesa / Winter Dressed

sold

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Blue Canyon

sold

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Monoprints 2023

This new series of monoprints are based on recent watercolors using an “image-on” platemaking process. They are hand inked, one-of-a-kind, artist produced images. This series began in April of 2023 as part of the Santa Fe Monothon. During the week long event I had a great time returning to my printmaking roots. I hope to add to this series as the year progresses.

Image size is 18″ x 24″ on 24″ x 30″ Arches 88 paper

Dream / Perfect Cloud Three

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Dream / Perfect Cloud Nine

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Dream / Perfect Cloud Ten

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Dream / Black Mesa Clarified Two

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Dream / Black Mesa Clarified Three

sold

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Dream / Black Mesa Clarified Four

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Dream / Winter View to Pajarito Seven

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Dream / Winter View to Pajarito Eleven

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Dream / Winter View to Pajarito Thirteen

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Dream / Winter View to Pajarito Sixteen

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Plein air / Winter 2021

Winter Crosses / Black Mesa

(sold)

Last year, with the pandemic raging and all activity shut down, I found my studio overlooking the empty streets of Santa Fe intolerably depressing. And so I began a series of plein air paintings which took me into the mountains and fresh air, away from people but still into an environment able to feed my spirit. During the warm summer and autumn weather I managed to complete over 20 paintings.

Come winter I was not ready to end this series and so I purchased a small bus and, pulling the seats out, transformed it into a studio on wheels. Through the winter I have continued painting this New Mexico landscape.

While I have always considered the attempt to capture the vast spaces of northern New Mexico in paint a fool’s errand (and still do) I am finding my last 40 years spent as an abstract artist has informed these images making for some unique resolves. To my eye, these representational landscapes have been born from my many years of studio work. After some severe editing I have nearly 20 new winter paintings to show you.

Each painting measure 18″ x 24″ mounted to 24″ x 30″ paper.

Winter Bosque / Road to Lyden

This is a floodplain just north of Espanola and the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, part of the Rio Grande River valley flowing down out of the Taos George. The Sangre de Cristo range is in the distance. These bosque cottonwood stands are of special interests to me. They are ancient spirits by human reckoning.

(sold)

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Cerro de la Cruz / Snow Storm

This conical hill, visible to your east on the drive into Santa Fe from Albuquerque, has been painted by a number of artists over the years, including a beautiful tempera painting be Peter Hurd in the early 50’s. On a day of blustery winds and snow showers, this painting was finished in a whiteout of blowing snow.

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Long View to Las Barrancas

The tribal police showed up to ask what on earth I was doing on a rough service road leading up to a billboard sign. I was working on this painting of Las Barrancas, a formation of sand cliffs that overlook Pojoague Pueblo. I’m getting to know officers from several of the pueblos round about.

sold

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Abiquiu / View to the White Cliffs

This is up in Abiquiu, some 40 miles north of Santa Fe. In the foreground runs the Chama river. Above the line of cottonwood trees that grow wherever there is a steady supply of water, white gypsum cliffs glow bright in the afternoon winter light. Those cliffs are framed by the much larger foothills of the Jemez Complex, now falling into late afternoon shadow.

sold

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Patriarchs

These “Patriarchs” (or Matriarchs if you prefer) stand alone in a field on the drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. 40 years ago, when I first moved to New Mexico, they stood there. Over the years they became for me (and I’m sure for thousands of commuters) a signpost on the drive too and from. I have always seen them while driving past at 75mph. Finally I have taken the time to stop and show my respect.

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Winter Tree Stand / La Mesilla

La Mesilla (‘The Table’ in Spanish) is a little community just south of Espanola. A row of houses, each with a fenced backyard, sits on the table top. Behind and below this line of backyards the land abruptly drops off 20 feet to the bosque (‘forest’ in Spanish) where pueblo land begins and runs from there to the river. This stand of trees grows in a large drainage arroyo that empties out into the bosque at the northern edge of this community. Over the 5 consecutive days it took for me to paint this tree stand I met several neighbors who stopped by to make sure I wasn’t there to cause trouble. On the fourth day I took a walk into the bosque and fell in love with the wild nature of the thousands of ungroomed cottonwood trees. I’ve not been back. I actually fear that I love this place too much! The trees were a challenge.

(sold)

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View South to the Sandia Range

The Sandia mountains are 50 miles to the south. I had this view every day driving home when I lived in Julianna Young’s studio out on Nine Mile Road.

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Hills of La Cienega

La Cienega is a working class neighborhood, nestled in beautiful rolling hills, with ponds and 300 year old cottonwood trees getting their nourishment from the Santa Fe River (barely a trickle through much of the year this far south of its source). These hills are visible from the highway south of Santa Fe.

(sold)

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Clear Day / View to the Ortiz Range

This is the left and right hand panels of a two panel piece, each done on the same day and location. It is another long view east to the Ortiz Mountains and south to the distant Sandia range. The Cerrillos Hills are in the foreground. It was a very, very clear day.

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Clear Day / View to the Sandia Range

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Long View North From Bonanza Ranch

I’ve done several “Long Views” this winter Many of these vistas are from the La Bajada area, a high point in the landscape south of Santa Fe. This view is looking back towards Santa Fe from Bonanza Ranch where many western movies have been filmed. It was a very clear day.

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Long View West

With Tetilla Peak sitting above the valley of South Santa Fe, the Jemez Complex is visible 30 miles away. It was a blustery day.

sold

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Long View East From La Bajada

This view looking east from La Bajada Hill was filled with a big sky, the Ortiz Range in the distance. The Long View South panel completes the panorama.

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Long View South From La Bajada


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Tree Stand / Taos Pueblo

All this talk about these landscapes I’ve been doing being so spare, well, that comes much from the subject. This is New Mexico with its vast spaces and profound distances. I like to believe that my technique is no technique, only a desire to bring to completion in whatever way necessary the scene before me. Evidence proof below in “Tree Stand / Taos Pueblo”, an image in which every technique I dislike using is used, this to make the trees read properly. I will probably return to this place and try the same subject more tightly edited.

(sold)

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View North to Cerrillos Hills

This is a view of the Cerrillos Hills from just north of Madrid on route 14. Down in the valley, not visible from this viewpoint, lays Cerrillos, an old mining town, almost but not quite forgotten.

These last three paintings were done during a week long period of clear, cloudless skies. Since then spring has become insistent. New Green is everywhere.

(sold)

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Las Barrancas

Here is the last painting in my winter portfolio of watercolors. It is a closer view of Las Barrancas, a formation overlooking Pojoaque Pueblo. It is now mid April. The cool winter light is changing as the sun moves higher overhead. The trees are budding. I’ll be curious to see what happens to my palette in the coming months.

(sold)

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Long View West From Golden

This is a long view looking west from a turnoff near the little town of Golden located on Rt 14, the back road from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. A wide expanse which overlooks the Rio Grande river valley. This is one of the worlds largest “Rift” valleys in the world, stretching from a region north of Taos to an area south of Albuquerque. From this long view one can see west to Grant, 60 miles away.

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Sangre Zen

Painted from our friend’s driveway on Tano Road, this triptych will hang above their bed.


(sold)

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Tetilla Peak From Bonanza Ranch

Looking west from Bonanza Creek Road, the dark lip of La Bajada divides the upper and lower portions of this painting. From the upper Rio Grande Valley (north) La Bajada Hill drops 500 feet to the lower Rio Grande Valley (south).

sold

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Spring Bosque / Road to Lyden

This is a spring version of a winter painting from the same location, done when the ‘new green’ was just emerging from the trees.

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Mesa Montosa / Noon Light

I like this painting’s ‘suggestion’ of superstructure. It is a first attempt at the cliffs of Ghost Ranch. The noon light flattened all this mesa’s layered outthrustings of rock. Its volumes could only be described by the weight of sky and minimal tree line.

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Encaustic Paintings on Panel / Spring 2020 / A Visual Diary

March 14 Day 1: OK, so a virus has arrived and the country is shutting down. The streets of Santa Fe are quiet outside my studio window. I have been busy paintings, hoping for a good summer season which is now in question. It is time to share this new work. ART BOX, on the plaza, is also my studio space and so, no matter what happens you’ll find me there painting. This is what I do. I’ll try posting one painting each day till all have been shown. These are in no particular order.

Day 3:  On day three of this Corona Virus spring a painting with the wildly inappropriate title of “Autumn Bouquet”.

Day 6: This week Roger called from LA, Don called from Albuquerque, and last night Jack called from cross town. We’re all just looking for contact.

Day 10: News out of DC is dire as a friend in Pecos tells me he has stopped watching the news and his biggest concern at the moment is having only six pounds of coffee left in the cupboard. I admire the way he’s dealing.

Day 11: Stay-at-home ordered for all of New Mexico beginning this morning. This means my studio doors stay locked for now. I will still be able to wave to you from my window, which was open yesterday to the new spring weather.

Day 12: While prunning trees in the late afternoon a parade of neighbors and not-so-neighbors came walking by. We’re all taking respite however we can.

Day 13: From a letter written yesterday to a friend in Nevada.
“But there is a palpable sensation of constriction pervading the national psyche. It hangs about like a fog. Still, Meg and I went hiking in the foothills yesterday and, at least for the time of the hike, the cloud lifted”.  


“I continue to paint like I am running out of time, even while I question the relevance of the creative drive in times of such disruption. I have always said, “The darker my mood the brighter my palette.” This has held true throughout the years but it always surprises me to see it. It surprises me to see it happening again. Sometimes these paintings can feel like beautiful lights growing out of a murky dusk or dawn”.

Day 14: Spent yesterday building a partial inclosure for our ‘second bin’. It took all day working in an off-and-on rain, gusting winds, and mid 50’s temps but it’s done and I have assured myself, falsely or no, that I am in control.

Day 15: At three AM the city was silent. The electric, gas, and water still worked. The house felt safe and warm. But outside the world seemed to have stopped. From the deck looking towards downtown a traffic light, directing to an empty street, changed from green to red and back again. / This morning the bird feeder is busy. The sun has come up as it always has.

Day 19: Visited via zoom with some dear friends in LA last night. Dreamed this morning of warm hugs with family. Life in a time of quarantine.

Day 21: Talking with Mary and Don last night I told them how, when at my most depressed I produce my most colorful paintings. “If they get any brighter I’ll be committing suicide!” I told them. Just a joke. But true that the paintings are getting brighter by the day.

Day 22: From a dream two nights ago. I sense a lot of people must be having similar dreams. “I was trotting along on a turning globe which suddenly stopped, leaving me stumbling forward trying to keep my balance.”

Day 23: We took the day off. No TV. No internet. No FB. Feeling much better.  
Of course this morning it was Sunday. If it’s Sunday it’s Meet The Press.

Day 25: The consequences seem to be mounting, or perhaps they are just dawning on me.

Day 28: World on fire. The center holds.

Day 30: Happy Easter everyone.

Day 31: Snow in Santa Fe. The silence is deafening.

Day 32: I finished rehanging ART BOX on Sunday. This included repairing and painting walls, labeling the backs of all the encaustic paintings completed this winter, rigging them to hang, and then (after rehanging the walls) cleaning the studio. All this was the result of last weeks push to photograph and edit all the new works. 
Yesterday I intended to paint all day. After lunch I lay down on my studio couch for a short nap and woke up two hours later. So this is what self quarantine looks like…

Day 33: Are we clear now what the consequences are? Or do you need more time in your room?

Day 36: Calm, people. Calm. And Kindness.

Day 38: Up to today, day 38, I have been posting paintings done over the winter. All these were completed before the stay-at-home order came down. My next post will begin showing those paintings done over this last month and a half period as the streets emptied and this unfolding disaster began showing itself outside my studio window.

Day 39: Now begin the paintings begun 39 days ago.

Day 40: It’s all beginning to feel like a passage, isn’t it? A journey to some place quite different from where we were.

Day 42: Did the virtual studio tour yesterday. 29 people showed up, a quarter of them were family. Thank you all for coming! It was lovely.

Day 44: Getting so many house projects done this spring I’m afraid we might run out of house!

Day 45: ‘Blessing’ Now more than ever.

Day 46: Summer has arrived. Temperatures will be in the high 70’s to low 80’s for the foreseeable future. 

Time to break out the oils.

Day 47: While the news worsens daily we continue to tend our garden, meaning the house, studio, each other.

Day 49: Los Luceros is an historic hacienda set in the bosque north of Espanola. One of my favorite places in New Mexico, the old growth cottonwoods light up in the autumn in brilliant yellows.

Day 50: I’ve begun a few 36″ x 42″ panels, visualizing them as the finale of this series of encaustic paintings. Full days working on these large panels is leaving me physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

Day 51: The country has begun to open up. We’ll see how bad this gets.

Day 52: Today I finally have the psychic space to begin contemplating how we might weather the next 12 to 18 months.

Day 53: Closing the bedroom window and blinds to the earliest morning light and a singing bird, I thought, “This could be the end of the world!” Given this early May heat generated by a warming planet and the political turmoil around the world going hardly noticed, drowned out by the cacophony of coverage of this pandemic which holds us all in place, we are, each of us, confronted with an uncertain future.

Day 54: I dreamed of large quantities of wood and cement, all delivered and set down on our hillside, while I began digging a foundation. My mother taught me this. The cure for depression, or the grief of loss, is work.

Day 55: Google Maps Timeline tells me this morning I have made eight stops in the last month, all within two miles of home. I have become my age (that is, if I were living in an assisted living facility). I do not like it…..

Day 63: These last two paintings are big ones (44″x37″) and finish off this series of encaustics, for now. Next week I return to oils. This has been, for me, a remarkable series. There is nothing like enthusiastically learning a new medium; letting it take you where it wants to go.  
Often we learn too well the lessons of a medium or subject, then spend the rest of our time trying to get back that initial enthusiasm once it is lost. After many years of painting I’ve learned to move on quickly as my excitement wains in the face of familiarity.

Day 64: After two months of entries, this is the last of the new encaustics. Its posting, coincidentally, falls on the first day of Phase One Reopening here in New Mexico. We are taking first steps into “A Capricious Season”. My fears are varied and many. My hopes are for a better world.  
This unusual final painting seems to delineate the struggle between those two seeming opposites; a balance ready to either float away or topple.  
Clearly, I stand on the side of hope. 
Let’s, everybody, be kind, 
please.

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Watercolor / “Seasons on Land” #31 – 40

Here are a series of ten small watercolor/gouache paintings; the beginnings of a much larger winter paint project.

Seasons on Land #31

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Seasons on Land #32

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Seasons on Land #33

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Seasons on Land #34

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Seasons on Land #35

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Seasons on Land #36

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Seasons on Land #37

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Seasons on Land #38

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Seasons on Land #39

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Seasons on Land #40

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