Roadmap Or Hike To a Painting™

Would it surprise you that beautiful gardens are scattered around this high desert city?

A spring scene from a truly historic location

Randall Davey (1887–1964) was an American painter and art educator.  He was primarily a portrait and equine painter, but he also painted landscapes and still lifes.  His artwork can be, and has been, seen in museums across the U.S., including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Corcoran Art Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art.  Davey moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1919.  After arriving in Santa Fe, he established a studio at his Randall Davey House, which became an art center.

Audobon New Mexico and the Randall Davey Audubon Center & Sanctuary, has resided there since the property was gifted to the Audobon Society in 1983.  This property was originally a sawmill built by the U.S. Army in the 1800's.  Randall Davey bought the stone mill and other buildings in 1920, and converted the two-story central section into his home where he lived for the next forty-four years. The remainder of the house was constructed of adobe in New Mexico Territorial style and includes Davey's studio, which is maintained as it was during his lifetime.

A wonderful place to paint...

Randall Davey created what today is a registered historic site, and can be seen in the photo below.  This is where I completed Plein Air studies and sketches, and painted "Behind Adobe Walls in Santa Fe".  With this spring scene, it is my hope that the viewer might just catch the faintest hint of a lilac, when viewing the bushes in the work.  More on the painting below.

Canyon Road

This byway in downtown Santa Fe is known world wide for its galleries and vibrant art scene.  Following Canyon Road east to Upper Canyon Road leads up in to the foothills and is a popular spot for hikers.  Hiking trails set off from the end of the paved road and lead up into the Sangre de Cristo mountains and watershed above Santa Fe.  Continue East and the road ends at the Randall Davey Audobon Center.  The photo below shows the compound nestled into the Sangre's, and the vistas around the property are beautiful.  I have visited this site many times, and attended paintouts there with the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico.  My main recommendation is that you contact staff to get permission if you are going to paint there, and you may also consider leaving a donation.  For a small fee, you can also reserve a docent led tour of the house.  On the day I painted this work, I arrived at mid-morning  to begin work, because the garden would be in fairly strong Sun, to accentuate the flowers.  There was also shadows from trees to the East, to add interest to the finished painting.   I walked the grounds to find a good spot and did several sketches followed by a Plein Air study. Paint just flowed from there, though I morphed a number of flowers along with the small pond into the composition to add interest.  My goal was to include flower varieties that would be true to an early Spring setting in Santa Fe. Over the course of a few hours at the site, I stopped painting periodically to take some reference photos.  These are very helpful later on, when I am putting finishing touches on the painting in my studio.  It is also valuable to step back, and view the canvas while working, as this enables me to take in the changing scene and get fresh perspective on the painting.

Roadmap To A Painting or Landscape Travelogue 

Those who have read my BLOG before, know that I like to share a travelogue on where a painting was done.   This location is at the end of a wonderful drive through Santa Fe.  The best place to start is on East Palace Ave. at the Santa Fe Plaza.  Take Palace to East Alameda, make a left and you will proceed for about a mile as the road curves to the right, and passes the intersection of lower Canyon Road.  You will come to a stop sign and Cristo Rey Catholic Church will be on the right.  Make a left at this stop sign and you will be on Upper Canyon Road.  This is a beautiful street with many rambling old adobe homes and propreties.  In a few miles, Upper Canyon intersects with Cerro Gordo, and then turns to gravel.  Follow the gravel road to the end and you will reach the Randall Davey House.  There are many stops worth making in this part of Santa Fe, but most people will want to head back down to Canyon Road and visit some of the galleries.  Canyon Road is also home to many restaurants, some of Santa Fe's finest like Geronimo and the Compound, but there are also more casual spots like the Tea House and El Farol.   Have fun getting out and walking around to explore its shops, galleries and restaurants,   Have fun!

For More About Jack Mc Gowan, please visit  www.jackmcgowan-artist.com