Greetings from New Mexico. This week, I have some new offerings and a flashback to the early days with an updated twist on the vintage postcards that occupied many card racks at visitor centers and gas stations.
Vintage travel postcards served not only as souvenirs but also as instruments of national and regional branding. They projected idealized visions of travel destinations, often blending nostalgia, boosterism, and artistry. Today, they’re valued as collectibles and windows into the visual culture of past generations.
Below are a few of the creations I conjured up over the weekend using my imagery from around this part of northern New Mexico. Enjoy!
Greetings from New Mexico.
Idealized vintage style postcard.
Ghost Ranch.
Rio Grande.
Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.
Milky Way with Jupiter and the Tipi.
And just for the heck of it, greetings from Utah!
Utah Buick.
They make great gifts as posters and greeting cards. Send me a message.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM This week, saying less is more, more or less.
The old saying “less is more” came to mind when I spotted this van at the trailhead covered in stickers. It was so overwhelming, I certainly didn’t take the time to read more than a few of them. To each their own.
And below, a magpie nest that had fallen from a juniper tree on our property. Its exposed structure reveals the intricate work and craftsmanship involved in building a home for a young magpie family—a perfect example, I think, of using only what’s essential.
Magpie nest, inside out, with the roof blown off.
As a side note, I left the nest untouched for a year, in case the magpies wanted to reuse the twigs for their next brood. They did return, but built a new nest from scratch, so I repurposed the old twigs to create the Dancing Magpie Ladder series in this featured post.
As always, Thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Less Is More
“Less is more” is more than just a design principle—it’s a philosophy, a mindset, and often, a path to clarity. Coined by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the phrase suggests that simplicity and restraint can lead to greater impact, beauty, and meaning.
In a world saturated with noise, distractions, and excess, the idea of less invites us to strip away what is unnecessary. Whether in art, architecture, writing, photography, or everyday life, reducing clutter, both physical and mental, can reveal the essence of what truly matters.
Minimalism doesn’t mean emptiness; it shows intentionality. It’s the white space in a painting that gives form to the figure, the pause in a piece of music that deepens emotion, or the lone word on a page that hits harder than a paragraph. In photography, for example, a single subject placed in a wide, empty frame can tell a more powerful story than a busy scene ever could.
“Less is more” is a reminder to trust simplicity: to allow space for interpretation, for breath, for depth; to do less, but do it better; to own less, but feel more; to speak less, but say what truly counts.
In the end, less is not a loss. It’s a refinement, a distillation of what’s essential. And often, it’s where we find the most beauty.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, minimalist abstract art in a square format.
In June 2024, I said there might be another post of random abstraction, and as I have so many of this type of image, mostly shot on an iPhone, here goes.
Click on an image to expand and click off it to go back. Enjoy!
I wrote some sentences and put them as prompts into Grammarly and ChatGPT. This is what they came up with, modified further by me. Let me know your thoughts.
The Allure of Minimalist Abstract Art in Square Format
In a world saturated with noise and complexity, minimalist abstract art offers a visual breath of fresh air—clean lines, subtle textures, and intentional simplicity. When paired with the symmetry of a square format, this genre takes on a uniquely balanced and meditative quality that resonates deeply in modern spaces.
Why Square? The square canvas provides perfect equilibrium. Unlike rectangles, which inherently suggest direction, the square is neutral—neither vertical nor horizontal. This neutrality invites the viewer to experience the artwork without predetermined movement, making it an ideal playground for minimalist expression.
Less is Powerful Minimalist abstract art thrives on reduction. It strips away the nonessential, leaving only what truly matters: form, color, space, and emotion. A single brushstroke, a subtle shift in tone, or a geometric repetition can evoke calm, curiosity, or contemplation.
Harmony in Design Whether hanging solo or as part of a grid, square-format minimalist pieces create rhythm and order. Their visual harmony complements contemporary interiors, bringing structure to eclectic rooms or serenity to stark spaces. They don’t shout—they whisper, and in that quietness, they speak volumes.
Final Thoughts Minimalist abstract art in a square format isn’t about what you see—it’s about what you feel. It’s not minimal for the sake of aesthetics but to create space: for thought, stillness, and connection. In its quiet, it offers a rare and refreshing clarity.
Explore the balance. Embrace the square. Let less say more.
As always, Thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week’s images depict the nature of March. The wind-swept madness of March came in like a lamb, and never mind the analogy of a lion, it morphed into a rhinoceros in an English tearoom. Haboob-like dust storms occurred earlier in the month, and again yesterday, they delayed flights and closed interstates with winds fanning the flames of wildfires.
The pictures of the Lunar Eclipse I’d planned to post this week didn’t occur due to the crazy March weather here. Thick clouds, freezing rain, and snow made sure of that.
That said, here are some images of the gentler side of March.
Spring Weather, Taos, NMChama River Road, NMArroyo Hondo, NMBighorn Sheep, NMBighorn Sheep, NMBighorn Sheep, NMCoyote, Rio Pueblo, NMGreat Sand Dunes NP, COGreat Sand Dunes NP, COEnchanted Circle Drive, NMGhost Ranch, NMGhost Ranch, NMGreat Sand Dunes NP, COMonument Valley March, 2022Monte Vista NWR, CO.Moonrise, Vallecito Peak.Latir Peaks SunsetTaos Mountain Storm.Raven, CORed Barn, snow San Luis Valley, CORio Chama Abiquiu, NMRio Grande near San Luis, CORoadside Puddle ReflectionsSandhill Cranes, Monte Vista, COSandhill Cranes, Monte VistaSangre de Cristos MoonriseSan Luis ValleyShiprock, NMSpider Rock, Canyon de Chelly, AZSun Star, Chaco Canyon, NMSunset Clouds, San Cristobal, NMPueblo Peak, Taos MountainTaos Mountain Clouds,Last Years Cornfield, Taos, NMUte Mountain, NMAspens, Tres Ritos, NMZapata Falls Ice Cave, CO
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a few scenes from winter past. It was 64º F (17.5º C) yesterday. Tee shirt weather, almost. It got me thinking about the winters we’ve had in the past.
I pulled a few images I found while submitting 40 images for the New Mexico Treasures 2026 Calendar. I believe this year’s 2025 calendar has sold out.
The first image was shot in December 2005. The snow came and went, came and went again frequently that winter. It was a cold day but not cold enough to freeze the river. This image is one of my best sellers and one of the first digital vertical stitched panoramas I’ve made.
Winter Past in the Ranchos Valley was also shot in 2008 looking north to Taos Pueblo Mountain.
Ranchos Valley fields with Taos Pueblo Mountain.
This piñon pine tree stands out against the sky on the ridge descending from Bobcat Pass elevation 9820 feet (2,990 meters).
Tree on the ridge at Bobcat Pass.
Out the kitchen window in December 2013.
Blowing snow, San Cristobal, NM.
Just a few miles downstream from the Taos Junction Bridge in the Orilla Verde Recreation Area of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is this scene, shot in December 2014. Sunny but very cold.
Orilla Verde Recreation Area.
A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds was shot in January 2016 in Arroyo Hondo across from the liquor store and market. This year we’ve had many larger flocks in our cottonwood and elm trees.
Red-winged Blackbirds, Arroyo Hondo NM.
Finally, the image below is not from a past winter but from May 1, 2016. It sure looked and felt like winter. Of course, the sun came out the next day and it vanished leaving muddy dirt roads and trails in its wake.
Arroyo Hondo Valley
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G.
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.
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, Twenty One Chairs. 38″ x 60″
Three chairs and a tree. 40″ x 60″ paper or canvas
One chair in the aspens. 32″ x 40″ paper or canvas
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.
Chair and a shovel.
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.
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 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.
Waxing moon, San Cristobal.
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
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.
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, 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.
Red-tailed Hawk
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.
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.
Greetings from San Cristobal, New Mexico. This week, three scenes: one each from Taos Pueblo, Las Trampas Church, and the wintery peaks of Truchas and the Pecos Wilderness.
I shot this image of Taos Pueblo many years ago. I think it was shot on Kodachrome 64 and scanned. I like it for the feeling and remember how cold it was when I look at it now.
Moonrise at the La iglesia de San José de Gracia de Las Trampas.
And lastly, the snow-covered Truchas Peaks. A view from south of Taos on an evening hike many moons ago.
Truchas Peaks.
As always, Thank you for looking. I hope everyone has a good holiday season. Thank you for your constant and continued support, and I’ll see you next year. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, the El Salto rocks are a familiar view for those familiar with Taos and El Prado (the meadows), where most, if not all, of these shots were taken.
