Melanie Stokes Art

Tag: Rio Grande River

  • Ending the Day

    Ending the Day at Santa Elena Canyon
    24×30 oil

    I had seen photos of the Santa Elena Canyon, as we prepared for a trip to Big Bend National Park. One of my artist friends commented that it would be a place I would want to paint. When I answered with, “But it’s been painted so many times,” she responded, “But, not by you!”

    Thanks, Susan. I’m glad I didn’t brush it off as a common scene, too familiar to paint. Now, Santa Elena has been painted by me. And, painting was almost as fun as being there!

    The place was magical, as every place we explored in Big Bend seemed to be! It was astounding to me that across the low, narrow Rio Grande River was Mexico. One majestic wall of rocks was on the Mexico side and another was on the United States side. The sun was behind the huge canyon walls, but peeking around the corner and touching the water, the bushes, the edges of rocks, to say goodbye at the end of the day.

    We had opted out of the sunrise hike and instead, put Santa Elena on our agenda for that evening. I didn’t have time to paint on site, but took plenty of photos to capture the moment. And could not wait to get back into my studio, weeks later, to put it on canvas!

  • Light at the Top

    The Light at the Top (sold)
    24×30 oil

    On a recent trip to Taos, New Mexico, we were glad to have friends with us who had been there before. One evening they sat in the back seat and directed us down a treacherous dirt and rock semblance of a road. We wound our way to the bottom of the gorge, across the John Dunn Bridge, so we could see this view. I was somewhat skeptical as the road had those places where you just know you are going to slide off into nothingness or into the blinding sunlight of the setting sun. So when we got to the bottom and saw the relaxing Rio Grand River, my tension melted into the coolness of the shaded rock walls. And, the sight that grabbed my attention the most was the light at the top of the gorge! This was a sunset glow just barely skimming the tops of the gorge walls, giving warm color to the rock formations, and reflecting in the cool water below. I took photos, knowing I would paint this scene later in my studio.

    The light on any subject usually gets my attention. And light at the top directs me to look upward. The view was well worth the journey and ended on a happy note! And yes, the ride back up was not as challenging! Thank you, Shannon and Guy, for sharing a memorable view– a moment of ahhh!