Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Magpie Moon, San Cristobal, NM

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Magpie moon, in the cottonwood tree San Cristobal, NM. The moon rose crystal clear over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico as our resident Magpie mimicked my calls seemingly oblivious of the splendor around us. Further south, the moon rose shrouded in clouds of fire smoke. It set this morning, around 4:30am resembling a blood orange through the thick smoke that settled across the valley. As always thanks for looking. G

Magpie Moon, San Cristobal, NM

Red-Tailed Hawk, Arroyo Hondo

Red-Tailed Hawk, Arroyo Hondo, NM. Every now and then I like to revisit Poet Laureate Ted Hughes Poem, “Hawk Roosting” You can read it below. Thanks for looking. G

Red-Tailed Hawk, Arroyo Hondo

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

Four Crosses And A Reflection, Abiquiu, NM

Four crosses and a reflection in Abiquiu, NM. As I lined up the lens on these iconic crosses at the Penitente Morada in Abiquiu, it must have drifted in front of the wing mirror and caught the reflection of the tree in the mirror. I’ve used this technique before intentionally, but this was a surprise. Sometimes accidents happen. Thanks for looking. G

Four crosses Abiquiu, NM

Valley Of The Gods, Utah

Valley Of The Gods, in the Bears Ears National Monument, Utah. Go there if you get a chance. This image is from a few years ago. It still moves me to the point of distraction, and I madly want to be there. Thanks for looking. G

Valley Of The Gods, Utah
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Adobe Walls La Santa Rosa de Lima, Abiquiu

Adobe walls, La Santa Rosa de Lima on the banks of the Rio Chama, Abiquiu. Someone, during the last week or so, had reassembled the rotting old wood cross that was replaced a few years ago and left laying in the cholla cactus near by. Yesterday we met a lady, a member of the parish, who had planted young rose bushes. There are bottles of water stored next to the building, labeled, “Please use to water rose bushes”. I told her I would water them when I visit again next week. She was grateful. Thanks for looking. G

Adobe walls, la santa rosa de lima, abiquiu NM

Here are a couple of images made on previous visits.

Cactus Cross

La Santa Rosa de Lima, sky and cross