El Camino Real

So long to Santa Fe, for another year. There were several scenic drives we could have taken out of Santa Fe to get back home to Colorado Springs including the freeway, which is the least scenic but fastest. But Hiway 285 takes you north from Santa Fe toward Espanola, and there are many scenic drives to get sidetracked on.

One junction to the left takes you past San Ildefonso Pueblo, a fascinating place that we'll get back to sometime.
You can't miss the Catholic mission at San Idelfonso, it's right in the middle of the Pueblo.

Instead we took the next intersection to the right, toward Nambe Pueblo. It's our most favorite drive, that follows the El Camino Real to Taos. It has provided me with much subject matter for paintings and drawings.

Sacred Heart Church at Nambe, oil 16" x 20"

That's John Prescott standing in front of Nambe Mission. The old Catholic missions on the Indian pueblos are all classic Southwestern scenes, and I'm as big a sucker for them as any artist.
The next stop on the El Camino Real is Chimayo, one of the most scenic historic stops, with the famous El Santuario. That place also calls for us to stop for awhile, so we'll certainly go back there too.

Continuing on the El Camino Real, we always stop at Truchas. How could anyone not? The site of Robert Redford's movie "The Milagro Beanfield War," Truchas is a town of galleries, and in the center of it is another venerable mission. You have to admire adobe construction that's lasted over 300 years.

Old Truchas Mission of Holy Rosary, 1764, oil 18" x 24"

Las Trampas, the next stop on the El Camino Real, features a famous Catholic church that I've painted a few times.

San Jose de Gracia Church 1760, oil 18" x 24"

I couldn't keep from painting the church at Las Trampas from two different views.

Las Trampas San Jose de Gracia, oil 18" x 24"

Continuing once more on the El Camino Real north toward Taos is Picuris Pueblo, with the mission having been restored by the people at Picuris.

San Lorenzo de Picuris, oil 16" x 20"

And finally you come to Taos. There is indeed a famous Catholic church painted by Georgia Okeefe south of town, as well as a mission at Taos Pueblo. But I love the pueblo itself, and its location.

Holy Taos Mountain, oil 30" x 48"

Do you see the face of the holy mountain, looking straight upward? I don't know where he came from, but appeared as I was painting it. To me he seems to have a headdress flowing down his left shoulder. When we were at Taos Pueblo in one of the shops we met Carol Suina, who said the name of the holy Taos mountain was "A-che-yats" (my spelling).
Again looking forward to coming back to this magical place, and all the others I've shown you, we continued home, going through San Luis, Ft. Garland and Walsenberg, a beautiful drive with continuously changing epic vistas. San Luis is one of our favorite stops, it's back in Colorado but still very much Hispanic, in fact it's the oldest town in Colorado.
And now that I have such good space in my basement studio, thanks to this blog and to all you gracious people who helped me with your comments, I can begin to paint again -- I must have a dozen paintings that need finishing, most from the El Camino Real!