Painting in Santa Fe

While spending a lovely week in the amazingly beautiful Santa Fe, I managed to paint a few oil paintings. I got 3 total, and I really like how they turned out. Not bad for my first real en plein air experience. I think I've learned that some colors should be left to glazing or longer paintings, and opaque colors should be out there with you.

The first one I did was of the train. I was trying to get used to oil painting outside, but when you are sitting at a train station, lots of people tend to walk by. It was really fun when a group of kids surrounded me and were asking me questions about my painting. It was really cute, but at the same time hoping no one would steal anything. Which they didn't thankfully.

Anyway, here's the painting:


The second painting I did was of a doorway on Canyon Rd. Canyon Rd. is basically gallery row, which is amazing :) There were lots of great galleries and interesting storefronts. Definitely a down to earth place and very interesting scenery. The doorway I found was in this little house that was there so people could hang out, kinda like an oasis for people traveling down the road. I figured that sitting in their garden and painting the house would be a nice way to spend the afternoon.


I think it was the day after that I painted the next painting. That day I was in the mood to relax so I stayed back at "home" which was this amazing house that a lovely woman named Lisa owns. She calls it Suitable Digs. She has it set up so people can stay in three different bungalows that house up to 3 people each. It worked out great and was a great place for us artist types to crash. Lisa was really hospitable and tolerant of us 20 somethings staying up to all hours of the night playing drinking games and singing and dancing. :) So I had a good time painting the front door to the house that I shared with the other two girls in the group. Plus being in Santa Fe, you start having a thing for doors. The thing I love most about this house was that it was YELLOW! Most of the houses in Santa Fe were brown.. tan.. with aqua usually as an accent color.



It seemed to me that since the landscape in New Mexico is very much the same brown color, people tended to decorate with lots of colorful things. Lisa definitely kept things bold and colorful with her yellow house and purple lawn furniture :)

I had such a great time in Santa Fe, and if you ever have a chance to go, GO! you wont regret it.
Thanks to MBK for making the trip happen and to the other 9 that kept it interesting and an enjoyable experience. I love you all :)

thanks for visiting!
-Katie