Thankful For New Mexico by Artist Cheri Wollenberg

New Mexico Adobe Home Painting

16x20 Original Oil On Canvas Painting

by Cheri Wollenberg - Artist

This painting is one that I began several years ago after I had become so inspired during a trip to New Mexico.  I love their grand state, and it truly is a land of enchantment.  I also love my own state of Oklahoma.  It has it's own brand of beauty that is enduring to me.  I'm thankful that I'm here with my family.  During this unpredictable and discouraging season of COVID 19 it is good for me to remember some wonderful trips my husband and I have made through the years.   I'm also grateful for digital cameras....nice ones too!  We can record lots of photos on them.  Another time I'll share about the old (yet wonderful) SLR cameras that allowed a limited amount of images on a roll of film.  So much to be thankful for today!  Thank you New Mexico for your friendly people and beautiful land that we can visit and come away enriched with enchanted visions!

 

 

Red Sandstone Mesa Formation At Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu,New Mexico

 Red Sandstone Mesa Formation At Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico

 

This painting features a sandstone Mesa with beautiful layers of beiges, clay reds, purples of all different shades. The juniper trees with their blue green foliage and the scattering of sandstone rocks everywhere in the foreground and mid-ground creates layers of distances. Sage plants are scattered in the ditches and eroded crevices in the earth as well. I loved this area in Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico. I have written more about my trip to this area on my blog.

Hollyhocks and My Bucket Babies

Pink Hollyhocks

8x8 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

Hollyhocks are an old fashioned flower.  Every time my husband and I take a trip to New Mexico I have a desire to have them all over our farm landscape.  This year I planted some from seed in seeding beds.  My sister (who is a wonderful gardener) said that sometimes they are very hard to transplant to the garden from the seedlings, but I think mine are going to make it.  Oklahoma, especially where we live, has such extremes...high wind one day, lots of rain, no rain, very humid, very dry....on and on.  Anyway, I have protected those babies in buckets with the bottoms cut out......until they are very established they will stay in their little "bucket home".  All this to say that I love them.  I love flowers period and I have such a desire to paint every kind of flower.  I have some digital images I took of hollyhocks at our home in Arkansas filed away in my computer.  I took a look at them yesterday.  This one spoke to me and I painted a small 8x8 painting late yesterday and last night.  I am practicing for when my "bucket babies" are grown and I can paint them live.  Until then painting from a picture will satisfy me.  I have this painting for sale in my Etsy shop.  You are welcome to visit there.

Aspen Windows

Aspen Windows

18x24 Oil on Canvas

by

Cheri Wollenberg

(SOLD)

 This painting was created in my studio from a photograph taken in Glorieta, New Mexico.  I was drawn to this view because of the sections between the trees. They reminded me of windows.  I thought it very interesting how each natural window had its' own composition.  New Mexico is one of my favorite states.  I probably have as many photos taken in that state as all others I've traveled combined.  I use to want my husband and I to retire there, but as grandchildren began to enter the picture I began to rethink my desires.  From an artist's point of view every state of the United States of America has a certain beauty.  We are indeed a blessed people to live in such a great place in the world.