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Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Thinking Ahead to Fall and Winter: New Program for New Mexico

You will still have red rocks to paint in New Mexico!

Right now, most people in the northern hemisphere are looking forward to the long, warm days of summer.  On Campobello Island, the lilacs have just started to bloom and the lupines are showing the first hint of color.  Soon I'll be able to hike out to Liberty Point without a fleece jacket and enjoy a warm breeze off the Bay of Fundy.  Before long, there'll be barbecue picnics, strawberry shortcake and parades for Canada Day.

But at the moment, I'm thinking about my fall and winter season out west.  I have some news to share that affects my Paint Sedona program.   Trina and I have sold our winter home in Arizona and moved to New Mexico.  Although I'll be teaching a few plein air painting workshops in Sedona, I've created a new program for New Mexico.  (Read on for details toward the end of this letter.)

El Morro National Monument

I'm sure this comes as a surprise.  I enjoyed almost a decade of sharing my knowledge of Sedona and painting with nearly 200 students in my small-size workshops.  But for a number of reasons, the time had come to move on.

The area in New Mexico to which we've moved lies between the Zuni Pueblo and El Morro National Monument, south of Gallup in the western part of the state.  It's an area Trina and I lived in when we first went west almost 20 years ago, and it is a place very dear to our hearts.  It's along the "Ancient Way," which is the route that was traveled by the Spanish Conquistadors and, before them, the Zuni and Acoma puebloans.  There are lava fields and volcanoes and ice caves to explore; ponderosa forests to wander through; and the beautiful sunshine and clean air of the high desert to enjoy.

View from a hill top toward the Ancient Way

Now, about my new workshop program.  "Paint the Southwest" (www.PaintTheSouthwest.com) will be based out of our home and studio.  This will be an intense, one-on-one, private workshop.  You'll get a private bed and bath, three meals a day, and all my attention.  We'll paint in the mornings, either in the studio or in the field; and afternoons will be filled with assignments or more time painting with me.  I will customize this program to your needs, and I'll give you as much help as I can to bring your painting to the next level.

I am very excited about this program for experienced painters because it will give me the opportunity to share my deeper knowledge about painting, something that is rarely possible in my all-level, group workshops.  Plus, I'll  be able to share my love of this part of New Mexico. I hope you will consider joining us.   For full details on the program, please visit the website at www.PaintTheSouthwest.com.

But as I said, I still have workshops in Sedona where you can paint beautiful Red Rock Country:

October 22-28, 2017:  Special mentoring workshop with Albert Handell www.alberthandell.com
October 30-November 3, 2017: Special workshop with Doug Dawson www.dougdawsonartist.com
November 14-17, 2017:  Paint Sedona workshop with me www.paintthesouthwest.com

I hope I'll see you either in Arizona or New Mexico!