The Traveler's Dilemma

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

New Mexico WC John Hulsey

As we write, we are in northern New Mexico - Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch - teaching an plein air oil painting workshop. We have a great group of students from all over the country, who have come here to take in the magnificent and dramatic high desert scenery made famous by Georgia O’Keeffe. Each day we are going after the best light—four hours painting the early morning light, followed by a long mid-day break, and then another four hours—late afternoon into evening, for those golden sunset moments.

Painting in places such as this, which are so different from the home ground of those in the workshop, takes some getting used to. First, there is the intense light caused in part by the latitude, high elevation and dry air. Unless some open shade can be found, having a painting umbrella is essential. Second, the colorful new scenery requires a change of palette from what we normally have in our pochade boxes, and this too, take…