Pursuing my passion

This painting is a second attempt to capture the essence of the Rio Grande Gorge as it "spoke" to me. The Rio Grande Gorge near the bridge just northwest of Taos has intrigued me for several years. Crossing over the bridge is a dizzying experience looking down the rocky gorge 650 feet to the Rio Grande below...especially when the bridge starts shaking from the traffic.

My fascination with this deep gorge amidst the flat expanse of land between the Carson National Forest and the Sangre de Cristos mountains led me to paint this version of "Rio Grande Gorge." Below is a photo taken from mid-way across the bridge on Hwy. 68 looking down on the Rio Grande as it snakes through New Mexico to the border of Texas and the Mexican province of Chihuahua (Big Bend) and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. For about 1,250 miles it forms the international boundary between the two countries. Pretty amazing! It's a beautiful rugged terrain.