"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