Month: January 2025

Chair Work. New Work, 01-29-2025

Geraint January 29, 2025 8 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, new chair work. It’s spring-like weather out there, including the cold wind. And as of 30 minutes ago snow. I’m gearing up for new projects this year, starting with the pieces below.

If you remember the images I posted from my show in October 2022 you’ll see where I’m going with my new pieces.

Below is a large print on paper or canvas, entitled “Twenty One Chairs'” photographed with a storm brewing, just north of Taos.

New Chair work pieces, twenty one chairs Wild River RA — New chair work, Twenty One Chairs. 38″ x 60″

Three chairs and a tree. 40″ x 60″ paper or canvas

One Chair in the aspens. — One chair in the aspens. 32″ x 40″ paper or canvas

Two white chairs with aspens — Two white chairs in aspen grove. 26″ x 60″ paper or canvas

The image below is one taken in Ranchos de Taos twenty years ago. I like its simplicity and to look back on images that inspire my work today.

I’m back at it sculpting new pieces and will post them and more of these large prints in a “new work” gallery on this website as they become available. Stay tuned.

As always. Thank you for looking. G

The Stunning Great Blue Heron. 01-22-2025

Geraint January 22, 2025 14 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week the Great Blue Heron, (GBH) and a poem by the late great Mary Oliver.

Heron Rises From The Dark, Summer Pond

So heavy
is the long-necked, long-bodied heron,
always it is a surprise
when her smoke-colored wings

open
and she turns
from the thick water,
from the black sticks

of the summer pond,
and slowly
rises into the air
and is gone.

Then, not for the first or the last time,
I take the deep breath
of happiness, and I think
how unlikely it is

that death is a hole in the ground,
how improbable
that ascension is not possible,
though everything seems so inert, so nailed

back into itself–
the muskrat and his lumpy lodge,
the turtle,
the fallen gate.

And especially it is wonderful
that the summers are long
and the ponds so dark and so many,
and therefore it isn’t a miracle

but the common thing,
this decision,
this trailing of the long legs in the water,
this opening up of the heavy body

into a new life: see how the sudden
gray-blue sheets of her wings
strive toward the wind; see how the clasp of nothing
takes her in.

Mary Oliver

Great Blue Heron about to lift off — Action …

“Native American Lore: In Native American cultures, herons represent wisdom and patience. They are seen as intelligent creatures that guide humans to live harmoniously with nature.”

As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. Stay warm. I hope you enjoyed the snow in Florida. Send some our way. G

Out The Window This Week. 01-15-2025

Geraint January 15, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week “out the window”, the dining room, kitchen, and car window.

It’s cold outside, and because the view is there, and the indoor warmth kept me from venturing out, I thought, why not post the picture out the window, opportunity?

The first shot is from the kitchen window. When I open the window pane initially, a cold rush of air follows but I’m fast, and boom it’s done. This is our direct view when doing the dishes.

Columbine Hondo Wilderness, Out the window — Columbine Hondo Wilderness, out the kitchen window.

Then there’s the waxing moon rising out of the dining room window. Some months, it rises directly over the peak seen in the previous image. The full moon puts on quite a show from our vantage point in San Cristobal. The upside is that it’s like daylight in the house, so no nightlights are needed. The downside is that sleep can be elusive on such a night when it slaps you in the face shining through the transom windows and skylights.

On a drive to town two days ago I had to pull over fast for this shot of Lucero Peak, peaking through the clouds anchored by the cottonwood trees in the meadows, (El Prado). I shot it out the car window. I had time to pull over and wind down the window before it was gone. So fleeting like most things in life. You have to grab the opportunities when they arise.

Lucero Peak, El Prado, NM out the window of the car — Lucero Peak, El Prado, NM

And back home that evening out the dining room window as the sunset on my neighbor’s tree, with the mountains of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness in the clouds.

Out the window, my neighbors tree at sunset — Out the window, my neighbor’s tree at sunset.

Here are the phases of the moon calendar I use. Sometimes I need to refer to it but mostly it’s on my phone occupying space on my screen along with some night sky apps.

As always. Thanks for looking and all the kind words, comments, and compliments. Our family is healthy and warm. I wish the same for all. G

The Low Road To Taos, Dixon, NM. 01-08-2024

Geraint January 8, 2025 15 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, a scene along the Low Road to Taos was shot last week in the shade of the canyon walls on a warm winter day in New Mexico. If there’s a high road to Taos, there must be a low road.

There is, and it runs along the Rio Grande in the Gorge from Santa Fe to Taos.

Here’s a historical photograph taken in the same location .

I made a quick stop in Dixon on a half-day High Road to Taos photo tour, which included a return trip through the Rio Grande Gorge.

Dixon cross/shrine — Roadside cross/shrine, Dixon, NM.

Here’s a picture taken in 2006, the same cross but someone flipped it around in this photo. My goodness time flies. 18 years went by fast.

Driving approximately six miles further north on the low road to Taos we rise out of the canyon and encounter the majestic view of the Rio Grande Gorge.

I shot the view below in the winter of 2014. I have many more images from this iconic location always in a different light.

Rio Grande gorge overlook — Rio Grande Gorge Overlook.

… and in a freshly fallen snow in 2014.

Rio Grande gorge overlook in fresh snow — Rio Grande Gorge in fresh snow.

Lastly, something to warm the heart and soul, is a flashback to an image from Christmas 1985 at the Taos Pueblo Bonfires held on Christmas Eve.

Taos Pueblo xmas eve bonfires — Taos Pueblo Bonfires held on Christmas Eve.

As always. Thank you for looking. To all my friends in southern California, stay safe, our thoughts are with you. And to everyone. Be well. G

Happy New Year, 01-01-2025

Geraint January 1, 2025 26 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. A very Happy New Year from our family to yours.

This week a sunset to see out the old year and a Red-tailed Hawk to usher in the new year.

Sunset, Happy new year — Sunset, to say farewell to the old year.

… and a Red-tailed Hawk to herald the new year, albeit a little bedraggled and battered but still with enough life left to do the things necessary to live life and do what hawks do.

As always thank you for looking. Happy New Year. I appreciate all the support, kindness, comments, and compliments over the past year and beyond. G

The Red-tailed Hawk is one of my animal totems, and I am uplifted every time one appears. What is your animal totem? Please leave a comment if so inclined.

Below is a poem by the Poet Laureate, Ted Hughes, a favorite of mine.

I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed.
Inaction, no falsifying dream
Between my hooked head and hooked feet:
Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.

The convenience of the high trees!
The air’s buoyancy and the sun’s ray
Are of advantage to me;
And the earth’s face upward for my inspection.

My feet are locked upon the rough bark.
It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather:
Now I hold Creation in my foot

Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly –
I kill where I please because it is all mine.
There is no sophistry in my body:
My manners are tearing off heads –

The allotment of death.
For the one path of my flight is direct
Through the bones of the living.
No arguments assert my right:

The sun is behind me.
Nothing has changed since I began.
My eye has permitted no change.
I am going to keep things like this.

— Ted Hughes