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| Aspens and Cottonwoods, 9x12 oil/panel |
The weather is getting springlike here in the Verde Valley of Arizona. Crocuses have already started pushing up in our garden - no blooms yet - and I've detected a bit of color in the upper reaches of the cottonwoods and willows. Junipers are releasing pollen, too. Touch a branch and you'll dislodge a cloud of yellow. This is not good for a plein air painter with allergies! But I will suffer gladly if it means spring is on the way.
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| Christine Debrosky |
This week, painter Christine Debrosky and I went down to the Verde River, just south of Sedona about ten miles. Although the water levels have dropped considerably since the last storm, the water is still rushing. We painted in the warm afternoon sun on a sand bank with the water tumbling past. Except for the rare hiker, we were pretty much by ourselves. We chatted a bit before starting, but fell silent once our brushes got into gear. (All the professional painters I buddy with do this; they get into the "zone" and rarely speak again until the finish.)
It was a great day. I've posted two of my pieces here. I am auctioning both of these separately; click the link below the image to visit the auction.
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| Cottonwoods, 12x9 oil/panel |
By the way, Christine moved to my area a few years ago from New York, where she taught at the Woodstock School of Art. Her work has won many awards and ribbons in the U.S. and abroad, and she is a Distinguished Pastelist of the Pastel Society of the West Coast. She has been featured in American Artist and Pastel Journal as well as in five books on painting. Like me, Christine teaches often and in many places, and this year she will be a presenter at the biannual IAPS (International Association of Pastel Societies) convention this May in Albuquerque. For more on Christine, visit her website at
www.ChristineDebrosky.com.
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| Down at the Verde River |
