Kitchen Mesa, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

I am back in Santa Fe, have not painted any, but a lot of art projects are in process. One is planning of possible participation at Art Santa Fe in July.
My Pilgrimage continues, a hike to Kitchen Mesa at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu in New Mexico just blew me away. So incredibly beautiful, amazing colors, and I don’t know if I have ever seen such a blue sky.On top of Kitchen Mesa, with the legendary mountain Pedernal in the background. Georgia O’Keefe made many paintings of Pedernal, as have many other artists. Soon me too, I guess.The view from Kitchen Mesa is amazing!Abiquiu Lake and Pedernal.The sky becomes even more blue when you have some green trees in view.Fantastic rock formations.The late afternoon light brings out all the rich colors. The desert is pretty cool!Moon rising over Ghost Ranch. Wow! What an afternoon!

Last post from San Clemente, CA

Now I am packing my little portable studio, finishing up the work I have done here during  this week. Soon heading back home for Santa Fe.I built a small base out of IPE hardwood and attached the half surf board to form a sculpture 102 cm tall and 50 cm wide. I am leaving it behind as a thanks to my friend who let me stay and use his house, and for letting me take some of his old battered boards with me.Two more pocket art pieces. Don’t know if they are done yet. In any case, they need several layers of high gloss varnish, which will add a lot to them.
The one to the left is 8 x 8 cm.

Surf boards serving a new purpose

These are the two full boards I have painted. Also finished the half board, pictures will be taken tomorrow.

Enjoyable work

Have enjoyed working on my tiny pocket art today.Will bring them back to Sweden and add some layers of high gloss varnish.

More boards, not at all bored

I have added some work on the first surfboard.And started on another one…And started on a couple of pocket art for my big summer exhibition…

Another surfboard art day…

Today I have played around with a totally different surfboard idea. I found a board that was broken in two parts and I am trying to turn it into a colorful sculpture.I am thinking about cutting a heavy piece of wood as a base. I have used lots of linseed oil and the oil is running and creating neat patterns.

More beautiful studio is impossible to find!

I have arrived at my dear friend’s amazing house in San Clemente, Southern California, and I have set up a temporary studio with the Pacific as a backdrop. The major distraction today was a sea lion playing in the water just a short distance from the beach.I brought my easel, paints, brushes, linseed oil, etc. and the “canvas” this time is an old dinged up surfboard with a lot of history.Can’t think of a better studio. Wonderful!I am painting with conventional oil paints and linseed oil on this surfboard. Now it will have to dry for a while before I can continue. I will look for another board to sink my teeth into tomorrow, there are plenty of old, well used boards laying around here…

Some new work getting done…

I have not only been skiing…Two new pocket art pieces, which will be varnished when I get back to Sweden.A new piece which I will call A Time of Introspection, 20 x 15 cm, oil on plywood.

I am just saying one word: Taos!

The studio work is progressing very slowly, because today I drove up to Taos Ski Valley. The weather was cloudy, with a little snow in the air. The slopes were hard packed and fast and I soon found out that there are many double diamond chutes and very steep runs, which have to be accessed by hiking up and out on ridges at almost 4000 meters above sea level = thin air!Cold wind at the top of the ridge. Wonderful! Big fat smile on my face.The view from the top of the ridge towards the west. Down below is desert. Up here is snow and great skiing. What a contrast!A fifteen minute strenuous hike from the lift (to the right along the ridge).Drop down anywhere, either here (Juarez) or over in the trees. You better not fall! Wow, I want to come back here and ski powder!

Purple Crush by Jeremy Thomas

Check this out, the cool art by New Mexico artist Jeremy Thomas.Check this video: http://vimeo.com/51039716

I am not only skiing, have also done some work:Another version in Cobalt Violet. You can see how the oil in the paint has soaked into the wood. It will dry and then I will add a number of layers of varnish.