Stumpy Saguaro

Ajman Brahm speaks the trees in the forest, the most interesting and beautiful being so because of their imperfections. With that in mind, I present you with "Stumpy", a saguaro who was somehow beheaded at eight feet, and who compensated for this disaster by sprouting a multitude of arms. 

Another lovely Sunday afternoon sketching at Jewel of the Creek.

By The Creek

Sunday morning by the creek

after a night's rain.

This sandy bank

warmed by the sun

is lush with grass

and the music of running water.

The desert foothills

is a good place to be

 in January.

Sketching as therapy for vision - very uncomfortable and peculiarly disorienting when focusing on a scene with such a hodgepodge of objects. Palming was an effective way to rest the eyes. 

AZ Hiking Sketchbook 2015

AZ Hiking Sketchbook 2015

By Nancy Boudreau

Twenty-four watercolor sketches 

from the beautiful wilderness trails of 

Phoenix, Cave Creek, and Sedona.

Click on the cover above to see a preview of the full book, courtesy of Blurb.

Back to Cave Creek

This is the last page the Arizona travel sketchbook. Returning to Cave Creek after a week in Sedona, for a walk up the trails through Spur Cross.

If you love to run, as I used to, and would like to support the town of Cave Creek in preserving their open space from urban expansion, you might consider participating in the Cave Creek Trail Run on March 26th.

Airport Loop Trail - Looking Back

Walking the Airport Loop Trail again through pencil and watercolors, as I look back over my days in Sedona. 

Wilson Canyon Trail

Walking up Wilson Canyon Trail at the end of the day, accompanied by long shadows. The bridge at the trailhead where 89A crosses the canyon is yet another dynamic view worth seeing.

A view of the workspace

Still employing that old piece of aluminum foil as a palette -
it lends a wonderful array of pre-mixed colors.

The Arizona sketchbook,
opened to Wilson Canyon Trail page,
photographed before signing.

Reflections On Woods Canyon

Reflections on the creek running down Woods Canyon, Sedona - another page from my Arizona travel sketchbook.

Devil's Bridge

Devil's Bridge is very popular because of it's scenic views and photo opportunities. 

Red Rock Beach

A travel sketch of boulders and sky reflections at Red Rock Beach. This is in the lower section of Sedona's Woods Canyon Trail. 

Woods Canyon

A quick sketch this morning of one of my favorite places along Woods Canyon Trail.

On The Way to Chicken Point

The view on the way to Chicken Point.

The palette, a simple piece of aluminum foil used with Sakura Koi watercolors tubes.

 

On Submarine Rock

In this foreshortened view of Submarine Rock, looking toward west Sedona and Coffee Pot Rock, that pinky-orange color known as "Sedona Red" got lost.  Tough to capture, camera and watercolors tend to go too far in either direction, between red and yellow. As for the foreshortening itself, to get a sense of scale, imagine the greenery on the rock to be the height of an average human.

Submarine Rock

The first view of Submarine Rock, emerging from a sea of pines.

Bell Rock Loop at Sunset

After four days of hiking, scenes from Sedona are beginning to make their appearance in my Arizona travel sketchbook. In this view at sunset, the foot traffic around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte have been chased away as blue shadows pool across the flats and begin to flood the high ground.

Wilted Datura

Another page out of the Arizona travel sketchbook, this time portraying a wilted Datura blossom along a trail on the Spur Cross Ranch, a part of the Desert Foothills Land Trust.

Traveling Sketches from Arizona

Thanksgiving in Arizona, spending time with family and hiking in the foothills carrying camera, sketchbook, pencil, and watercolors. The first page of the book is a view of Spur Cross Road, traveling north into the foothills, where conservation groups and land trusts have managed to preserve some of the best hiking trails in the Phoenix area. 

Cave Creek Crossing

5" x 7" acrylic painting on matboard
housed in an 8" x 10" cream-colored mat

These planks cross Cave Creek at Jewel of the Creek, Spur Cross Ranch, in Cave Creek Arizona. This is a magical place in the desert, where water runs year-round. Cottonwoods and willows grow here because of, and in spite of, the water. 

This painting is up for auction until February 23rd. 

Sunset on Almeda Court

This is a view of the sunset as seen from my mother's front doorstep.                                                                       - Nancy Boudreau

Note: 

This is the 500th posting to my blog! 

Happy Birthday to NBoudreau.com!

This is a 5" x 7" acrylic painting on matboard, in a cream-colored 8" x 10" mat.

It will be available via auction through February 19th.

Return to Cave Creek

5" x 7" acrylic painting
comes in a cream-colored 8" x 10" mat

My first posting to the blog since July 16th 2011. This is a view of Cave Creek, as seen last week during my recent visit to family in Arizona. Again and again, I return to this oasis in the desert.

It will be available via auction through February 12th.

Good Night Phoenix

The last in a series of paintings inspired by a recent visit to Arizona, this time unique in that the subjects were urban, downtown, a new venue for me. Standing in a hotel room, watching the sun set beyond the window, the reflection caught my attention. How contemporary, to see through so much glass. Landscapes through windows - this is how most Americans see the world today. Perceiving life as layers of reflection, separate from the actual thing. Reality has become a mind-game of perceptions - or was it always so?

- Nancy Boudreau

Paintings in this series are available on Etsy. . .

This painting is about 5.5 x 7.5 inches and is acrylic on gessoed mat board, protected in a cream colored mat, and as with all these little studies, the text above is handwritten on the back of the painting, which is also signed and dated.

For comments and queries, please feel free to contact me directly at: nb@nboudreau.com