Question: What do these 3 pairs of paintings have in common?:
I showed one pair in my last post, of old and new Mazatlan:
I showed my two views of Mission San Miguel in Santa Fe, earlier this year:
And I presented my views of San Jose at Las Trampas last year:
The answer to my question: These 3 pairs of pictures all present one scene from two different views, giving the view an extra dimension, doubling the pleasure so to speak. They hang especially well together, but they're usually sold separately. I have a new picture to show of one of the Las Trampas drawings, my most recent one which is also the most prosaic, or traditionally scenic, view of Las Trampas:
I drew this with my new colored watercolor pencils, which include Austrian round paint sticks which sharpen like pencils, Cretacolor AquaMonolith, on watercolor paper. Although the paper is much better quality than the sketchbook paper I've been using for my drawings in this blog, I frankly don't like the textured look to the colors. Questions: What do you think of my using this better quality paper? What is a better notebook paper to both draw and paint on? Compare them with the last two drawings I presented of the mission at Las Trampas, the front view:
And the back view:
I'm glad to get all of my pictures of Las Trampas assembled in one spot. The pair of oil pictures is actually part of a total of 6 pictures that I have of Las Trampas, 3 oils, and 3 drawings--which often are precursers to new oils.
In the past year I've thought of mainly using this blog for so-called business purposes, and not as a personal blog; it's an address I can give on my prints and ads (along with etsy). I've tried mostly to maintain the format of featuring a new oil at the first of the blog, and new drawings featured in the rest of it. Because I don't currently have a large oil painting output, my new blogs take a while for me to start. I'm glad to have some chances over the next few blogs to highlight my current artwork collection.
Also, reflecting upon the first year of this blog, I realize I can also add more personal information in it, as I did my last blog with photos.
OUR SECRET GARDEN
I want to share with you how our back yard looks right now, as the iris are just ending and the lillies starting. This is the peaceful view from my studio window, I'm in the basement with a southern exposure and large windows that fill with grand light every afternoon:
In the far corner is our memorial to Mother Justine and Father Hubert, near St Francis behind the Siberian Iris: 
Only yesterday we had a picnic between the rain storms, with daughter Emli, Paul, Thorin and William, on their way back to Farmington NM. Here's Paul, Emli and Judy standing next to Mother Virginia's memorial, marked by Gabriel: 
And last week, after a cold, indoor May, we finally managed to get outdoors into Old Town, with daughter Chris and Rick. Territory Days was the largest ever and the least stormy, with over 150,000 people. We found a great new Italian Pizzeria, that we can easily take people to when they come to see us: 
My next posting will present another of my pairs of picture, this one a true diptych, the two views that complete one scene.
