Saturday, March 13, 2010

When Road Met Sky, new spring landscape painting

When Road Met Sky
New Landscape Painting by Cindy Morawski

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Do you remember lying in the warm grass and looking at the sky's clouds when you were small? I do. Since I liked animals, I could spot an elephant or a dog immediately. That big sky and all those swirling clouds made me feel dizzy with life. I felt completely in awe of the world, but I also sensed that I was a part of something much greater than myself when I gazed upward.

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When I was driving north to Santa Fe, New Mexico, last spring, I just happened to get distracted. No, I wasn't yakking it up on my cell phone. And, I wasn't riveted by a favorite song on the radio. Nor do I send text messages while driving; I'd like to get to my destination in one piece. I was completely smitten with the sky! "Clouds in my coffee." I could hear Carly Simon singing in my head. After I drove out of Albuquerque, the highway flattened out for quite awhile. But, as I neared Santa Fe, the elevation started rising, and the road met the sky while I motored down a scenic back route. The clouds didn't signal bad weather. They just beckoned me to take another look. Hey! There's one that looks like a Volkswagon Beetle. And, over there . . . I'd swear that large puffy gray one looks like a giant dinosaur. It seemed that time stood still that day because before I knew it, I spotted the Santa Fe city limits road sign. That day I didn't mind having my head in the clouds!

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This landscape measures approximately 20 x 15 framed. It's also available in matted prints. I painted it with pastels on pastelbord. I started with a sketch, then moved onto a dry underpainting using hard pastels. Layering in my values and colors with soft pastels and adding details and perspective brought the road and sky scene to life.

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If you're looking for a Sunday outing on March 14th, try Boerne's Market Days in the town square. It goes from 10 to 5 each day. Every month's second weekend, the town of Boerne rolls out its Market Days on both Saturday and Sunday. There are lots of vendors with everything from tomato plants to cowhide rugs to paintings. There's also a band playing in the beautiful gazebo. Please look for me in my tent in the middle row, just a stone's throw from the gorditas, crepes, and other food vendors. I'll give you 2 dollars off your purchase if you mention this blog in honor of my "Luck of the Irish Sale" for St. Patrick's Day.

Happy Spring and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

~~Cindy


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