Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Fort Union, Santa Cruz, Chairs, Bone Ball, Dinosaur.

Greetings from San Cristobal, Fort Union, and beyond. The blossoms are bursting out, in perfect contrast to the dark grey clouds threatening rain. We can certainly use the rain, so no complaints from me.

This week I’m revisiting and re-editing some images. The first is from Fort Union National Monument on a trip there in 2006. I remember, unlike now, I was able to walk around the exhibits and make compositions quite freely.

There are signs now that say “stay on the footpath”, that’s where the rattlesnake in this picture was hanging out. The fort is on the last leg of the Santa Fe Trail. When the wagon trains got to Fort Union, it was still a couple of weeks of rutted roads tho Santa Fe. Don’t let the snakes put you off visiting. According to the ranger, this was the first rattlesnake he’d seen there in five years.

Mechanics Corral at Fort Union, NM
Mechanics Corral, Fort Union National Monument, NM.

The mission church at Santa Cruz resembles many of the other adobe mission churches in the area with its two towers, cruciform floorplan with large adobe buttresses. I liked the shapes in the darkness on this one. There isn’t a plumb line in the architecture, at least not in this image.

Before making this picture in 2008 I had never walked around to the “back” of the building. It’s a smaller buttress but reminiscent of the massive buttress at the San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. Re-editing this image I wanted to impart the feeling of the coolness and depth in the darkness of the shadows. Standing in the shade was a welcome relief from the hot sun that was bearing down on the southeast side of the building.

Santa Cruz Church, New Mexico
Building detail on the Santa Cruz Church, NM

In 2007 I was captivated by the placement of these chairs. I embarked on a series of images over the ensuing months of the chairs and tables in this outdoor setting. I liked the unintentional randomness I found each time I visited. Today you will find the Farmhouse Cafe at this location.

Outdoor dining table and chairs
Outdoor dining at the Overland Ranch, El Prado, NM

A found object, and if I can remember where I shot it, I will be a happy camper!

Bone ball whimsical find in New Mexico
Bone and Ball, somewhere in New Mexico.

And now for the dinosaur. Ok, this is an attempt at humor. There is so much gone but not forgotten just yet. We live in a rural area where cellphone service is spotty. We have considered getting a landline again. Who still has a landline? I shot this image in 2010 in a Santa Fe gallery. I thought at the time, “one day, this will look like a piece of art.”

Telephone with wire
Telephone with wire no longer ringing, in Santa Fe, NM

As always thank you for looking. I appreciate all the kind comments and compliments. Stay well, happy and healthy. G

14 thoughts on “Fort Union, Santa Cruz, Chairs, Bone Ball, Dinosaur.”

    • Thank you, Peter. I can almost hear the groaning of the wagon wheels and the hooves of the draught animals out there. G

      Reply
    • Hi John. Thank you so much. I’m happy to know you are looking in. I loved living in Treeton, there and here are very special to me. G

      Reply

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