Nr. Flagstaff, ARIZONA

ARIZONA

On September 14, 2001 my friend, Tiah and I drove from San Jose, California to New Mexico on a long planned painting trip. We had originally intended to fly, but, because of the events of September 11, all the U.S. airports were still closed. We decided to rent a big comfortable American car and drive instead. It took 3 days to reach Taos, New Mexico. Along the way, we stopped to paint from time to time as the spirit and scenery moved us. Just outside Flagstaff, Arizona, we took a dirt road out into the mesa area and stopped to paint the gathering storm clouds. This painting was done as a response to the boiling and building thunder clouds that seemed to emanate from the mesa tops. Exciting high desert color, and primal and apocalyptic feelings are reflected in this "plein air" painting that I did on the side of the road. I was so charged with the energy of the scene that I actually howled like a wolf at one point in my painting process! My friend Tiah appeared to accept my weirdness with no comment - which is great in a travelling companion! More on this road trip later