There are views you see and you think, “By God! That’s gorgeous and I need to remember that so I can paint it!”
This view is one of those, although to be fair, the point of view is actually slightly elevated, so it’s more of an aerial view.
The big windows at Taos Pueblo Indian Health Services have this view. I changed the houses to be more traditional adobe houses rather than the mix of adobe and frame houses that are actually there.
I remember when I first moved here and I looked toward the mountain and I saw this big swath of green with very few houses on it. That was before I understood it was Native land and that’s why the area wasn’t pockmarked with mansions of newcomers (committed to the area or not, because when you’re rich, you don’t really have to get along with anyone.)
This time of year, the clouds build up and it rains in spots. In the distance, we see minor hills rise up from the dust of the west. We imagine the impacts of rainwater, dampening the earth and releasing its fragrance.
If we look closely, we can see a couple of people here and there, going about their business, but almost a part of the landscape, rather than lending their narratives to the scene.
This painting is pretty big. at 48 inches by 60 inches, it’s the largest size I have attempted. This one is the second attempt of the three times I have tried.