Tuesday, October 18, 2011

BUDA FINE ARTS FESTIVAL this weekend


Sunrise on the Pumpkin Patch
by Cindy Morawski



Reunion
by Cindy Morawski


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You're invited to the

BUDA FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
October 22 - 23, 2011

10 AM - 6 PM Saturday

10 AM - 4 PM Sunday

On the Greenbelt in Historic Downtown Buda
Off I-35 south of Austin

Live Music, Silent Auction, Children's Art Area,  Quilt Show

Over 50 Juried Artists

FREE Festival Admission!

Taste of Buda!
Local restaurants offer the best of their menu!




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Saturday, October 15, 2011

A Place with a View~~Ghost Ranch, N.M.

Fall Photography of New Mexico

Ghost Ranch

October 2 - 8, 2011

Over the Rainbow at Ghost Ranch

Upward

Early Dinosaur Skull from Dig at Ghost Ranch


Modern Designs of New Mexico

Weaving~~Face from the Loom

Doll with Ornamental Weavings

Meditation Garden at Ghost Ranch

Waving Grasses by the Patio

Anyone Home?

Shelter from the Storm

 
Inspiration for Artist Georgia O'Keefe

Path to the Art Studio

City Slickers, the movie's cabin

Peace to all who enter

View of Chimney Rock

It took millions of years . . .

Pathways of Ghost Ranch

Sky Lights

Sunset of Gold

Light and Shadow

Autumn's Peeking Through

Looking UP
When I arrived at Ghost Ranch a week ago, I ended up with a sore neck.  I kept looking up.  Up at the skies, up at the cliff formations, up at distant mountains, up at the birds.  My head was in the clouds.  The wide-open spaces wrapped their arms around me and embraced my spirit.  I couldn't get enough of the cool mountain air.  No humidity.  Boy, did that feel good after coming from San Antonio. 

I took my camera everywhere with me.  It became a part of my hand.  Snap.  Snap.  I felt a sense of urgency.  I needed to record the beauty all around me.  Somehow it made it more believable.  I breathed in deeply.  The mountain elevation gave me a lightheaded sense of uncertainty.  I knew though that I'd get adjusted to it in a day or so. 

Presence.  Yes, I guess one could name my sense of wanting to be in the moment.  I didn't want to be anywhere but Ghost Ranch.  My travels became not only a destination, but the place rooted out a space in my heart. 

The photos represent a sampling of my experiences.  It was not possible to capture it all in just a week's time.  I'd recommend it as a place to visit.  A place to take classes.  A place to devour a wild slice of America's spicy Southwestern pie. 

Happy Viewing!
~~Cindy~~ 


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Columbus Day Discovery~~Ghost Ranch Paintings

Chimney Rock at Ghost Ranch, NM
Old Abiquiu Mission

As the Crow Sees

October's Hike at Ghost Ranch

  
View from the Upper Mesa


Southwest Migration


Little Burro of the High Plains


Exploring New Lands

by Cindy Morawski


Shedding my city skin like a garden snake, I left Texas to try on the roles of explorer and high desert landscape painter on October 2nd, 2011.  I had last visited New Mexico two years ago, and I was itching to return.  While taking a plein air painting workshop last April with Austin master painter, Dianne Grammer, I learned about Ghost Ranch, a mecca for artists, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts.  I signed on at the beginning of summer, anticipating fall and a seasonal prize for enduring a long, hot San Antonio summer. 

One of my beloved painters, Georgia O'Keefe, discovered northern New Mexico on a trip from her home in Texas in 1917.  Twelve years later, she returned to New Mexico and found her way to the beautiful valley that would eventually become her home~~Ghost Ranch at Abiquiu. 

Like O'Keefe, I sensed the freedom and natural beauty of this area.  The rugged and colorful landscapes called to me.  I was ready for plein air painting, hiking, and studio work and classes on the ranch.  Some of my favorite landscape subjects included the Kitchen Mesa, the Pedernal, and Chimney Rock.  When I hiked down the Kitchen Mesa Trail the first day, I felt a sense of awe.  The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and when I looked up and eyed the mesa, I knew I was in a very special place.  Immobilized, I first stood looking up into the sky feeling the goosebumps on my skin; I knew without a doubt that I was one lucky person to be in this moment. 

Other favorite subjects included the local crows and burros.  You could hear the crows' cawing and spot their shiny black feathers catching the desert thermals in the dramatic skies.  I continued to look for the burros.  There were signs everywhere on the ranch that said:  Beware~~Burros bite!  But, the corrals and pastures were empty.  Later, I had a chance to see them while touring the more remote areas of the ranch during the end of my stay.  I learned that they get turned out at times so they can graze and move freely.  Their sturdy endurance was apparent as I spotted them ducking behind the native bushes on the high desert after a rainstorm that lasted for a couple of days.

Inspiration comes in many packages.  For me, new lands and people along with discoveries in learning with art, allowed me the privilege of a week's stay at Ghost Ranch, New Mexico.  When I think back on my experiences, I'll sense that high desert  air and sun upon my face.  I'll remember the colorful cliffs and skies, the music of the wind and birds, and I'll appreciate what the natural world has to offer.  Adios for now, Ghost Ranch.  I'll return some other day. 


Plein Air Painting at Ghost Ranch


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MY UPCOMING OCTOBER ART EVENTS
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  •      Wimberley Valley Art League's FALL INTO ART Annual Show and Sale, plus Artist Studio Tours, October 14 through 16, 2011
  •       Buda Fine Arts Festival, JURIED Art Show and Sale, October 22 and 23, 2011
  •       New Braunfels Art League ARTOBERFEST, Juried Event, October 2 through November 12, 2011

           *Look for more details on my website link at www.cindymorawski.com.
     
     
    Happy October Discoveries!
    ~~Cindy