Warmer Brighter

There are still a few elements in this painting I want to fix. The overall feel should be warmer and brighter. Not sure I have really achieved that. Always new lessons to learn.

When I painted this, I wanted to capture something quietly powerful about life in Taos. I chose soft colors and loose brushstrokes because that’s how Taos feels to me—warm, honest, and a little rough around the edges. There’s a depth and a taste of strength in the faces of the people here, especially among those rooted in Hispanic and Native American cultures, who’ve shaped this place through generations.

This young woman in the painting is standing quietly. Her expression holds both pride and curiosity, hinting at stories that reach far beyond the canvas. Behind her, the landscape stretches open and wide. (Though it is pretty darn abstract.) The purple mountains fade into the distance beneath a sky that’s deep and endlessly blue.