Dawn, 24 hours apart during this active monsoon season, looked very different. Each was beautiful, as New Mexico skies tend to be.
At 6:05 MDT on July 10, a light rain was still falling, after significant overnight rainfall. The overcast sky was like a giant umbrella casting back a beautiful orange pink glow, while individual clouds in the mountains provided separation and depth to the Sandias. Although colorful, it was a gentle sunrise.
Sunrise Over the Sandias
The following day, at 5:47 MDT, slightly less than 24 hours later, a very different dawn appeared. The sky was clear with only a few wispy clouds, and the moon seems to sparkle as the day dawned. It was just as beautiful in its own way as the sky had been the day before.
Sunrise the Following Day
Although different, each was typical of a sunrise in New Mexico, “Land of Enchantment” and remarkable light with amazing skies.
Image New Mexico 2015, begun by Pat Berrett and Tim Anderson, will be held again this year at Matrix Fine Art, which has hosted the show for the past several years. This is a juried photography show, and there are no restrictions on where the photographers live, but the images must have been created in New Mexico in the last two years. I am pleased to be showing two images this year, ‘The Observer/The Observed’ and ‘Harry’s Pearl’s,’ the latter from the series, ‘Living Jewels.’
Regular readers here have seen ‘The Observer/The Observed’ before. I created the image for myself in the dark days of January 2015, and did not intend to show it. But, after writer, fellow anthropologist, and friend Jim Stallings wrote a poem about it as a gift to me and my family, I decided to show it. It was in Insight New Mexico – Through Her Eyes and is currently on display at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education North Building until August 15.
‘The Observer/The Observed’
Spontaneous Poem from a Treetop Crow
In the lofty life of a wise old crow
Swaying in the topmost backyard branches
Like a magical clock counting down mortality’s coil,
May it not be in some secret way
We the awed observers
Have all along been honored by a wiser watcher?
– Jim Stallings
The second image is from my ‘Living Jewels’ series. Flower arrangers are quite familiar with the dwarf tree, Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick. This spring, here in Albuquerque, Harry put on an outstanding display of male catkins. I have titled this image ‘Harry’s Pearls.’
‘Harry’s Pearls’
Matrix Fine Art is located in Albuquerque’s historic Nob Hill on the south side of Central Avenue (old Route 66), 2 1/2 blocks east of Carlisle between Solano and Aliso. The address is 3812 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108.
All images are available for purchase.
Exhibition dates: July 3 – 31, 2015
Sneak Preview: June 30 – July 2, 2015
First Friday Artscrawl Reception: Friday, July 3, 2015, 5:00 – 8:00 pm
If you are here in the Albuquerque area, I’d like to invite you to the opening reception on Friday, July 3, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. If you’ll be passing through Albuquerque some time in July, I invite you to stop at Matrix Fine Art to view Image New Mexico 2015.
Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico includes the river, the bosque, and metropolitan Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Corrales, and others. While cities and villages are included, there are also many rural areas, even at times within the cities and villages. I spent yesterday with good friends exploring parts of the Corrales area I had never seen, ending the evening on their deck for wonderful food and great conversation.
These images are not spectacular in the sense of being in any way unusual. These are very typical images from a summer afternoon in the Middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico.
Sandia Mountains looking across the Rio Grande, after a brief thundershowerTypical scene in the rural portions of the Middle Rio Grande Valley
This area is known for its double rainbows. It is rare to see a single rainbow. If you look closely you will see that the main rainbow includes a double portion in at least the middle of the arc, while a portion of another bright rainbow is in the left of the image. It was a beautiful sky.
Beautiful rainbows
When I got home last night, on the opposite side of the river, I found 1/2 inch of water in my rain gauge. The rain falling behind the rainbows was falling at my house!
It was a perfect ending to a beautiful – and typical – summer day in the Middle Rio Grande Valley!
An awesome sky in all directions last night! I was working in the study when the pink light through the window lit up the room.
New Mexico is known for its brilliant light and spectacular skies. They do not occur every day, but they do occur with regularity. It had been some time since I had been aware of one this spectacular, and it felt like an old friend. An amazing sky to the east over the Sandia Mountains as well as to the west, looking toward the Rio Grande valley.
Sunset, looking eastward toward the Sandia Mountains Sunset over the Sandia Mountains, looking eastward
Sunset, looking westward toward the Rio Grande Valley Sunset, looking westward toward the Rio Grande Valley
When I see a sky like this, I am always reminded of D.H. Lawrence’s description of sunrises in New Mexico. Much the same can be said our our sunsets.
I think New Mexico was the greatest experience from the outside world that I have ever had. It certainly changed me forever. . . . the moment I saw the brilliant, proud morning shine high up over the deserts of Santa Fe, something stood still in my soul, and I started to attend. . . . In the magnificent fierce morning of New Mexico one sprang awake, a new part of the soul woke up suddenly and the old world gave way to a new.
There are all kinds of beauty in the world, thank God, though ugliness is homogeneous. . . . But for a greatness of beauty I have never experienced anything like New Mexico.
Spooky full moon – the words themselves make me think more of Halloween than a beautiful spring evening.
As the moon rose over the mountains, it was initially simply a beautiful moon.
Clear Sky and Beautiful Rising Moon
Very quickly, however, clouds began to move in, with some possibility of rain overnight. At the first appearance of the clouds, the moon did not appear too spooky.
Moon and Clouds
But, in a very short period of time, the moon with heavier clouds definitely had a spooky appearance.
Spooky Moon and Clouds
It really is a beautiful spring evening, although that is not the mood conveyed in the last image.
Photography by NM Women: InSight New Mexico Open through April 26
Photography by NM women was first organized into the show, InSight New Mexico, four years ago by LeRoy Perea, also the organizer for the large December photography show, Annual New Mexico Photographic Art Show. LeRoy believed that a show specifically for women photographers would give women more freedom of expression than perhaps the ANMPAS show. This year’s show, the fourth InSight, is a beautiful show. The only requirement was that the finished image had to start as a photograph, but beyond that, there were no restrictions, either in image creation or presentation.
The opening reception was last Saturday, April 4, but the show is open from 10:00-5:00 daily, except Mondays, through April 26. There is no charge for the photography show, held in the Fine Arts Building at ExpoNM, but Expo does charge parking on the weekends.
Fine Arts Building, EXPO NM
The Great Hall of the Fine Arts Building at EXPO NM:
Great Hall of the Fine Arts Building
Work by one of the jurors, Linda Ingraham:
Work by Linda Ingraham
One of my entries, “The Observer/The Observed”
“The Observer/The Observed”
My other entry, “Postcard Series: Amaryllis”
Postcard Series: Amaryllis
Many thanks to LeRoy and the wonderful committee who put this show together, as well as to the jurors!
Blood red moon is an interesting phenomenon that can occur during a total lunar eclipse. Such an eclipse occurred early this morning, April 4, and was visible in Albuquerque.
Lunar eclipse, blood red moon
I had set out my tripod and gotten my camera ready before I went to bed last night, but did not set the alarm. I’m generally awake quite early. Today I did not awaken until 5:20 am, but that actually turned out to be okay.
The totality of this eclipse was short, less than five minutes. By contrast, the length of another total eclipse coming up in September is predicted to be roughly one hour and twelve minutes. That one will not be visible where I live, unfortunately.
However, I did get to see this one on April 4, which made me very happy. An auspicious beginning to this day…
Early Spring Flowers: Yellow Crocus and Blue Grape Hyacinths
Early spring flowers – the earliest ones – are frequently a variety of bulbs. For today, the first day of Spring 2015, I present yellow crocus and blue grape hyacinths.
Yellow Crocus Early spring flowers, yellow crocus
Grape Hyacinths Grape Hyacinths
Daffodils and narcissus are blooming now, as are a variety of fruit trees. I have a new peach tree that my neighbors gave me last year, and it was starting to bloom when we got the snow a couple of weeks ago. Those blossoms will not make fruit this year. However, my pear trees are just beginning to bloom, and I should have picture of those before too long.
Today itself was actually rather cool, but this weekend should be good for getting more work done in the yard.
‘Through Her Eyes’ Photography Exhibit – 2015 Insight New Mexico
‘Through Her Eyes’ is the theme of the 2015 Insight New Mexico Photography Show. All of the exhibitors are women photographers who live in New Mexico. The theme is perfect for this particular show.
The timing worked out especially well for me. My two images in this show, “The Observer/The Observed” and “The Postcard Series – Amaryllis” were created by me for me, after I returned from Texas to be with my son when he was in the hospital. They reflect my thoughts in January, at a time when I was lost in my own thoughts. They are the images not only through the eyes of a woman of New Mexico, but also of a mother. I did not intend to show them anywhere. They were personal, especially “The Observer/The Observed,” which was heavily edited and reflected my mood at the time.
The deadline for entry into Insight New Mexico 2015 was rapidly approaching and I thought, well, why not. I am very happy to have both images in this show, and honored that the jurors chose them. This is always a fun show (the brainchild of LeRoy Perea, which happens because of the hard work of his Insight committee members!), but this year’s show, “Through Her Eyes,” has special meaning to me.
I hope to see many of you from the Albuquerque area there.
“The Postcard Series – Amaryllis.” Brightly colored amaryllis in the middle of winter“The Observer, The Observed.” The Watchful, Observant Crow on a Cold Winter Afternoon
Winter to spring transition in roses is abundantly clear in my garden this year. A couple of weeks ago we had several days of above average temperatures. Many roses began to send out new growth.
Here in the high desert of New Mexico we are taught not to prune our roses until late March or early April, because pruning stimulates new growth. That tender new growth will die if we get a late freeze, which is not uncommon here in the high desert. So, my roses have not yet been pruned, nor will they be for several weeks. But, because the roses are sending out new growth, I have had the opportunity to photograph old spent blooms and hips with the new growth: a winter to spring transition. I sometimes think of it as “the junction of life and death,” but I realize that is too strong for some readers. I personally find with junction of the remains of last year’s growth and blooms with this year’s brand new growth to be beautiful and interesting.
Some of the new rose leaves are red. This is not a photoshopped color. The red color is due to pigments called anthocyanins, which actually help protect the tender new growth from harsh UV light. As the plants mature, and they no longer need this protection, the pigments disperse, the leaves become green, and become chlorophyll factories through photosynthesis. Not all roses produce the red leaves on early spring growth, however.
‘Betty Boop’ with spent bloom without petals, and new leaf growthSpent bloom of ‘This is the Day’Spent bloom and hip of ‘Incognito’
