"Santa Fe View"

 

 

This little gem was painted in the late afternoon just before sundown.

 
A little-known fact, except to New Mexicans, is that in the winter months the temperature can drop to sub-zero temperatures at night time and the next day will rise to 100 degrees warmer (somewhere in the sixties). It is not unusual to open the windows like this in the wintertime.

The adobe (mud and straw) bricks out of which the southwestern buildings are made will store the heat from the daytime sun and release it into the home in the wee hours of the morning. It is amazing to realize that our pueblo Indians were living in adobe homes long before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the territories. Yes, in this painting you can feel the chill of the outside air a few feet away from you as the sun disappears from the sky, but the room in which you are standing will be a balmy temperature of 78 degrees.

"Santa Fe View"         16" X 20            Oil on Canvas

"The Goleta Gap"

This is one of the most beautiful coastline treasures just a couple of miles north of Santa Barbara.  The Goleta slough is another phenomenal bird refuge for so many species.

The sand bar that you see in this painting is daily covered completely by the incoming tide.  Sandpipers, crows, ducks, coots, gulls, egrets, pelicans, white ibis and the like are found here in great abundance.

It is the most wonderful and spiritual experience to witness nature perpetuating itself in the most beautiful of locations.

 "The Goleta Gap"                 14X17                 Oil on Canvas                   $950.00

"Santa Barbara Bird Refuge"

The Santa Barbara Bird Refuge is one of the most beautiful and serene places to visit and very inspiring to paint.  There are so many species of common water fowl to birds of paradise that it offers a full afternoon's entertainment.  For example, it is located right next door to the Santa Barbara Zoo.  Though you cannot see it in this painting, there is (to the left of this scene) a window through the trees to the giraffes' grounds.  Every now and then one of them will stroll up to that window and study whatever life is going on there on the beach behind where I was painting.

It was a bright, sunny afternoon and so the colors were quite vivid, as you can see, and the water was calm as it almost always is lending a beautiful reflection of the Montecito Country Club in the distance.

"Santa Barbara Bird Refuge"           10"X 17"       Oil on Canvas                       $680.00

"Queen of The Missions"

Mission Santa Barbara was founded on December 4, 1786 by Father Fermin Lasuen, Presidente of the California Missions Chain.  It was the 10th Franciscan mission built in Alta California. Aptly named "Queen of the Missions" for its graceful beauty it is the chief cultural and historic landmark in the city of Santa Barbara and sits high atop a hill looking down to the Pacific Ocean.  People come from far and wide to visit this beautiful piece of architecture, as do many artists set up their easels in the hopes of making it immortal.

I chose to paint this subject from the rear because I wanted to show how proximal it is to the ocean and how beautiful and breathtaking that view is.  Most artists tend to paint it from the front with the back-drop of the mountains because it is so majestic-looking. Living in Santa Barbara is like living in Monaco with the rights and privileges of living in the United States.  After the last great earthquake leveled the town, this was the only building that remained in tact, and so the town was rebuilt in the Old Spanish Style of Architecture.

"Queen of the Missions" (24"X 30")  Oil on Canvas          $2,100.00

Van Stein: Lesson on Perspective June 9, 2010

Van Stein: Lesson on Perspective June 9, 2010

"View from the Pecos Mission Ruins"

A trail that is a little over a mile long begins at the Pecos National historical Park visitor center and winds through the ruins of Pecos Pueblo and the mission church.  This sizeable Pueblo community on the edge of the Plains was occupied for over 400 years.  It was important in the history of the Spanish arrival in New Mexico, and the Spanish built and occupied a mission at the site for about 200 of those years.  The site was abandoned in the 19th century by its last Pueblo residents

On a rainy June morning I made this painting after having to run for cover in a nearby shelter.  The  mission ruins were beautiful to behold, but the sight of the walking rain in the distance coming down over the Glorieta Pass Battlefield (from the Civil War) captured my attention.  In New Mexico it is not unusual to be driving down the highway (which, by the way, is a very panoramic experience in some places) and while it may be beginning to snow you can look off to your left and see bright sunlight reflecting off the hills in the distance and the walking rain coming down right beside it.

At this time I was standing in the sunlight which was coming through a hole in the sky and the angry cloud cover made everything in the distance look gray and foreboding.

"View From the Pecos Mission Ruins"     24" x 36"               (Oil on Canvas)      $2,600.00

"Latir Waterfall"

This gem was painted on the way to the Latir Lakes.  In order to get up into the canopy before arriving at the Lakes, it is necessary to traverse streams like this one which the trail keeps criss-crossing.  A four-wheel drive vehicle or the like is recommended, but traveling by horse is my personal choice -- the only trouble being the need to return with the wet painting.  The loco weed is very prevalent here in the month of July, so I have to watch carefully what my horse is eating. For those of you who enjoy fly-fishing, this is one of the best areas in Taos County to visit.  In May or June you can catch your stash of cicadas (big as birds) for bait and the sound can be deafening -- much like a symphony of locusts.

The weather is always a lot cooler at these altitudes -- even in the hottest part of the summer, so you will want to be prepared.  The trek upward is much like what is seen in this painting -- a jungle of vegetation while the Springtime run-off races down the hillsides, constantly moving and dazzling the eye as the sun filters through the canopy like dancing jewels.  It had to be painted quickly, as you may have noticed by the broad brush-strokes and occasional use of the palette knife.

"Latir Waterfall"           (20" X 24")           Oil on Canvas                $1,400.00

"La Morada de Taos"

This is a painting of one of many structures in Northern New Mexico which are known for places of worship that were used by an enclave of the Catholic Church known as the Hermanos Penitentes. The Penitentes are a society of individuals who, to atone for their sins, practice penances which consist principally of flagellation, carrying heavy crosses, binding the body to a cross and tying the limbs to hinder the circulation of blood.  These practices have prevailed in New Mexico since the beginning of the nineteenth century.  Up to the year 1890, they were public; at present they are secret, hence there are no windows on these buildings so that these practices may be completely private.

La Morada is located on the edge of the Taos Pueblo land, not far from the home of the Infamous Mabel Dodge Lujan , a wealthy heiress who moved to Taos in 1919 and married a Pueblo Indian named Tony Lujan. She had a very tumultuous relationship with D. H. Lawrence whom she invited out here to start a literary colony.  I have ridden all of the Taos hillsides, making my own maps (of places that were accessible to horse-back riding).  At the far end of the courtyard to her house there is a gate that a horse can just barely squeeze through.  Once out in the desert I would have that sense of being truly alone in a historic area and would feel myself go back in time.  It was truly a remarkable experience.

I chose to paint this historic site in the winter time when I could introduce a lot of ultramarine (a very cool blue shade) into the snow shadows and contrast them with the complementary colors of the adobe.  You can feel the cold, as though you are standing there on the grounds with virtually no footprints around, except for the tracks of an occasional mountain lion or jack rabbit.  It is no wonder that New Mexico is referred to as "the land of enchantment" because of its outward appearance, but every time I look at this peaceful structure I am always reminded of the bloodshed and mayhem that takes place inside its walls.

"La Morada de Taos"        (12" X 20")        Oil on Canvas                     $950.00

"Morning at Hendry's Beach"

This is one of my favorite beaches in Santa Barbara.  It is never too crowded, dog friendly, and there is a great restaurant in the parking lot.  Located on the edge of Hope Ranch, an area rich in history, you can take a long walk and be completely alone in no time at all.  This painting was made in the early morning.  The light is blinding as it is refracted off the particles of mist, but as the mist begins to lift, the cliff, which is teeming with wildlife will take your breath away.

In order to execute this painting I had to place myself on the sand and the sea was rather choppy that morning. When the sea is choppy there will always be a steady wind and more often than not your painting will end up face down in the sand or at least will pick up a few particles. All of this, of course, is an occupational hazzard for the pleine air artist.

In order to achieve the effect of distance and atmosphere change, I used a white turpentine wash on the most distant part of the cliff.  For the sky I began by using Ultramarine blue at the top, working with a hatch work stroke into a cobalt blue and then into cerulean and violet for the horizon.


"Morning at Hendry's Beach"     (20" X 24")      Oil in Canvas                  $1,900.00

"Cinco De Mayo"

This is a painting of one of the most famous churches in Northern New Mexico and is located on the scenic High Road to Taos. Named after the small hamlet in which it is located, Las Trampas Church was founded in 1751 by twelve Spanish families and was known as the San Jose de Gracia Church which was used by Los Hermanos Penitentes, a flagellant Catholic order founded in colonial Spanish America.

As you can see, the sun is blinding in that part of the country, and the sky really is cobalt blue. I have exaggerated the deep intensity of the sky to emphasize how bright the sun shines in "big sky country".If you look at the shadows, you see that nowhere is there the application of black or gray.  This painting shows an impression of what the eye actually sees.  Shadows are comprised of many colors -- just an area where there is less light.  Even in the areas where the sun is reflecting its brightest you will see color through the glare.

For the sky I started with pure ultramarine blue at the top and worked in pure cobalt as I entered the lower atmosphere.

"Las Tranpas Church"       (32" X 34")     Oil on Canvas                          $3,800.00

"Afternoon at San Francisco de Assis"

This is a painting of the famous St. Francis Church in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico.  Normally it is surrounded by parked cars.  I decided to make it look a little more romantic by adding some characters.  It is not unusual to see horses walking through the parking lot even today and I have ridden mine right up to my gallery, which used to be on the left side of the church.  The figures in the market place would have been there many years ago in a different era.  I love this painting because it was a kind of experiment.

Adobe is made with clay and straw.  After a couple of winters, the surfaces of the church need to be refurbished.  In order to accomplish this, the entire community of this little hamlet, just outside of Taos, gathers together to heal its wounds.  I have been a part of this ritual and have never had so much fun.  After the holes have been plugged with chicken wire and adobe and straw, it is washed over with big pieces of wet sheepskin.  A regular beauty treatment. 

 I wanted to paint a true impression of what happens when you look up at the walls of this huge structure.  The sky is so bright and blue that the reflection of the sun on the walls is actually blinding to the human eye.  It is not possible to see where the sky or the church begins or ends because of the eye's natural reaction to the glare.  I tried to capture this by blending the color of the sky into the building.  Every time I look at this painting I am taken back to that amazing experience.

"Afternoon at San Francisco de Assis"      (17" X 22")      Oil on Canvas     Price:  $1,500.00

"Waterlilies" (20" X 24") Oil on Canvas

This is a painting of a pond on the property of a famous Taos founding artist named Nicholai Fechin.  When I attempted to execute this painting I did not realize how difficult it would be -- a seemingly simple subject, but very reflective of everything around it. As in most of my paintings, I chose to execute this one in the late afternoon/evening sun.  The colors of the blooms and lilypads are soft,warm and inviting, but difficult to contrast against the sky which kept changing and getting warmer and warmer in tone.  I had to return a few times to finish this work which, normally, would have taken but a few hours.

It amazes me how these lilies manage to survive in Taos' bitter winters.

"Waterlilies I"      (24" X 30")     Oil on Canvas