Mountain Spirits

"Mountain spirits," 22 x 30 watercolor, 300 lb d'Arches cold press paper

Spirit. Many of my recent books, which I didn't pick because they seemed related, deal with spirituality, in humanity, in nature, in eternity.

Some one is telling me something, and I guess it's no accident, thought I didn't get the connection until today,  that I exhibited by large watercolor, "Mountain Spirits," at our gallery, In Your Eye Studio and Gallery in the Paseo Arts District yesterday.

So, for the record, here it is, the largest I've ever attempted, of one of my favorite places, where memories and spirits collide.

Spiritual magnetism--paintings and a story

Magnetism. It's more than a physical property of the scientific and natural world.

There are places and people that can attract, or less often, repel you for that matter, in sometimes unexplainable ways. You know who they have been, who and what they are. You can feel the pull.

 

Rainwater reflection

For me, one of those places has been the remote east faces of the Manzano Mountains in New Mexico, along with its back roads and isolated villages. And one very old little Catholic church building. 

The force of that magnetic field increased this last month, and I succumbed a week ago, headed especially to see the church of San Antonio at the village of Tajique, population 148,  in the Estancia Valley Catholic Parish. I'm guessing it was originally built in the 1830s when this territory was part of Mexico. 

My watercolor, Dad's oil

I know some of the reasons, having spent part of my childhood in those mountains, and because of the pull of back roads, and in this case, because both my Dad and I have painted that church. Two of those paintings hang in our living room, as well as my Dad's sunflower and Manzano peaks painting over our mantel. I see them every day, traveling in my imagination and memories.
You can see I've exaggerated the nearness of the Manzano Mountains in the background, including the pointed Mosca Peak, over 9,000 feet high--the church is at 6,700 feet. I try to paint what I feel, and the magnetism of those mountains is strong.

Most recent, 8 x 10, for friend M.J. VanDeventer

My new photo above is in early morning, 65 degrees, after a thunderstorm captured the place. The parishioners have added a rock exterior and changed the bell tower since I last visited.  But I'm still drawn to the place, and to the fascinating variety of tombstones in the surrounding Campo Santo.

My photo from years ago

I've painted it at least three times, based on memory and photos and its magnetic attraction. One time when I drove by, a wedding was in process, with the newlyweds coming out the front door. 

The last time I took a photo of it, in black and white on a gray day some 30 years ago, it was much plainer. There's nothing plain about it magnetically.

My largest, 22 x 30

The Manzano magnetism of Mosca peak

Road trip inspiration

"Out here the's the sky," New Mexico evening

Summer can stifle more than physical energy. Creativity to meet the daily #worldwatercolormonth daily prompt challenges was faltering. 

For me, a road trip is a sure cure for feeling cooped up as inspiration seems to be drained. Even the back roads of Oklahoma will do, but not like New Mexico. 

This week I savored the skies, the mountains, the sights and smells and tastes of the back roads, especially along the remote east face of the Manzano Mountains. I took lots of photos, breathed and imagined stories and sights and art.

The cloud  at top was one of a multitude of welcomes for me at the end of the first day. 

Here are this week's paintings, all 5 by 7, 140 lb Fabriano Artistico cold press.

This means I have only four more paintings to have completed one a day this month. 

Before I left, I answered the daily prompt of "Furry Creatures" with "Bird Watchers," of Sophie and Snoops looking longingly out the window.(Metaphorically as cooped up as I felt.)

Next, Tuesday night in Moriarity, N.M. I did "Blue Memories," in plain air inspired by old Rte. 66, to the prompt "Monochrome Moods." All ultamarine blue, watching the clouds and sunset.

The next three prompts:

"Farm Life," "Splashing  Around," and "Clouds in the Sky." Only "Splashing Around" isn't inspired by the road trip. These are rough and quick, but they catch the moods I want, what I felt, rather than saw.

Tuesday-"Blue Memories," Monochrome

Wednesday-"Great Plains skyscrapers, "  Farm Life

Thursday-"Sunset Surf," Splashing around

Today-"New Mexico Spirit," Clouds

One of two inspirations for today's painting

Moon and the Manzanos cabin

Moon over the Manzanos, 14" by 11" watercolor, 140# d'Arches

 Solitude allows you to see things, and this painting came to me recently in one of my quiet times. One of Dad's masterpieces, an oil painting of sunflowers and the Manzano Mountains near our old cabin southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico,  hangs over our fireplace mantel.
A smaller winter scene of his is also in the living room.
I've noticed that these mountains keep appearing in several of my  paintings. They're not the tallest nor most dramatic in New Mexico nor my life, but they certainly, along with the paintings, have influenced me and seem to be in my consciousness.
I saw them in the moonlight, in the snow, with a cabin, in my head.

One of Dad's paintings

Christmas card and cabin season nears

Our cabin, 8 by 10 photo

I found this copy of one of our family's Christmas cards recently. Dad always sent out Christmas cards, usually like this--a photo of our cabin in the Manzano Mountains southeast of Albuquerque, or one of his pieces of artwork, like the scratchboard snow scene of a Rock Island locomotive taking on water in Fort Worth.
 After a few early years when the kids were young, we didn't send out many.  But now that I've started painting, this photo explains why I was thinking about needing to get started. I realize where that primal urge to send out a few personal cards comes from. And my attraction to cabins, in my paintings and just generally in writing and dreams. 
 It's November, and I've already got the blank cards ready to paint, and the checklist of friends and family.
Now if I just had a cabin in the mountains to retreat to, put wood in the stove, look out that big north-facing picture window, a little adult beverage, and start painting.

My heritage of veterans in three countries

Do you have favorite veterans in your family, in your life?
I started out to write simply about my two favorite veterans, but the more I thought, and looked at photos and memories, the harder and more emotional it became. 
I come from a long heritage of veterans from three countries. 

My favorite veteran, M/Sgt. Vance Clark, USAF

Two years ago I sat in the Albuquerque airport, sketching the Manzano mountains, a day after burying my favorite uncle and one of my favorite veterans, Mike, in the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Search this blog for veterans or Mike, and you'll find numerous posts over the past few years.
But he's not my favorite of course. First-born son, M/Sgt. Vance C. Clark, USAF, holds that rank. There's no way I can put in words how proud I am of him, of his patriotism and loyalty.

And I have known many veterans as other relatives and friends in my life, including many former students. If I try to list them all, I'll leave some out, but they have been blessings to me, not necessarily for their service, but for just who they are. But some have to be mentioned, and every time I think of one, another name comes up. 
Stop and think about how entwined veterans lives are with this country, with our lives. I won't use the overused word "hero" to describe them, because most would decline the term. But it is appropriate to honor them today and tomorrow for what they mean to all of us, in so many ways.

Cdr. Steve Curry, USN

I'd have to add Col. Charles Fleming, USMC, who was a colleague at OSU, and helped me earn my doctoral degree. He's since paid the price for Agent Orange, but I so remember having to celebrate the Marines birthday every year. 
I've been blessed with many former students who were veterans. They are more mature and focused on their studies that most students. They don't gloat nor wave the flag, and in fact, if the enrollment sheet didn't specify "veteran," you wouldn't know it in most cases.
 Near the top would be Commander Steve Curry, US Navy, a former student who has remained a good friend, and two years ago booked me on the USS Abe Lincoln for a Tiger Cruise. More recently there has been Andy Jensen, who shares Ray Bradbury and a love of reading and writing. There have been many more. 

Petty Officer 2 Mike Clark, Grandmother, Dad

Uncle Mike was my Dad's favorite brother, hence my middle name.  But two other brothers served, Rex and Champ in the US Army. Dad didn't serve of course, having lost his leg jumping a freight train in 1932, but he spent much of his life drawing portraits of veterans.
I know from genealogy work from Vance, Dad, and my aunt Vera "Sissie" Culp that my ancestors served in The Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War and Spanish American War. Not sure of WWI.

CSA grave, Vicksburg

And I can't conclude without honoring those ancestors of mine who served in two other countries, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States of America.
They're in my blood.
It's little wonder that I am drawn to the POW/MIA flags, and to the veterans' gravestones in cemeteries, or my affection for wandering down the ranks of graves in national cemeteries, whether at Santa Fe, Arlington, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Fort Smith, and elsewhere.
Join me and snap a salute to your veterans, past, present, and for the future.

First day of school duty

Final port of call, Santa Fe

Eternal duty, Vicksburg National Cemetery