Taos Pueblo

Southwest Art

Taos Pueblo, which resides in this desert landscape, is what I feel is the essence of Southwest Art. The Native Americans painted their wall decor and didn’t use canvas at the time; they used pottery and animal skins. And I’m sure they didn’t make canvas prints! Before creating just contemporary Sedona landscape paintings, these watercolors were my bread & butter.

Taos Pueblo

This southwest Landscape Pueblo is made entirely of adobe — earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks. The walls are frequently several feet thick. Vigas support the roofs of each of the five stories — massive timbers hauled down from the mountain forests. Smaller pieces of wood — pine or aspen latillas — are placed side-by-side on top of the vigas; the roofs covered with packed dirt. The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by replastering with thin layers of mud. Interior walls are carefully coated with light washes of the white earth to keep them clean and bright. The Pueblo is many individual homes, built side-by-side and in layers, with shared walls but no connecting doorways. In earlier days there were no doors or windows, and entry was gained only from the top.

Native American

When visiting the Taos Pueblo, I was overcome by the fact that it is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. So, of course, I decided to do my best to represent it in my style of watercolor, creating this Taos Pueblo landscape painting of it. I love the turquoise blue doors & windows. In this crazy world, I find it astounding that people still live here.

Wall Art related to New Mexico

Taos Vigas     Pueblo Mission     Drums & Moccasins     San Miguel Mission     Sandoval Snow     

Santa Clara     Sunbird     Navajo Palapa     San Ysidro       Transient Sky     Mondays      Monument Valley

Sedona Landscape Paintings

While I love painting with watercolors, my current love is using acrylics, both heavy body, and liquid acrylics. Creating Sedona landscape paintings and any form of contemporary Sedona art is my current direction.