Welcome to HartNews, Volume 03, Issue 1!

So...What is HartNews? HartNews is my attempt to write about life and watercolor from where I see it. As a teacher, I enjoy passing on some of the things I think about or do in watercolor. As a fellow human, I wish to pass on some of the things that inspire me - or make me laugh!. I've included you in this issue - you who are painters, friends, former guests and/or family - some of you without your expressed permission. So…please reply and ask to be removed from this mailing list if you'd rather not get future HartNews editions - or just delete me! And - if you have something you'd like add or say, just email me! and please feel free to pass this on to your friends.... And - if you'd like to see the back issues - just check the Archives above..

In this Issue:

Quotes of the Day

• Charles Hawthorne, Hawthorne on Painting

"Do studies, not pictures. Know when you are licked. Start another. Be alive, stop when your interest is lost. Put off finish as it takes a lifetime - wait until later to try to try to finish things. Make lots of starts. It is so hard and long before a student comes to realization that these few large smple spots in the right relations are the most imioprtant things in the study of painting. They are the fundamentals of all painting."

• Georgia O'Keeffe, after her first experience with watercolor

"After about ten attempts -- I certainly had to laugh at myself -- It's like feeling around in the dark -- thought I knew what I was going to try to do but find I don't -- guess I'll only find out by slaving away at it."

Jan's Demo

This week's lesson in my regular class was a continuation of painting vegetation. My students expressed frustration with getting their darks dark enough, creating a sense of 3 dimensionality in a tree or bush, how to simplify and how to deal with foreground - grasses, etc. They are referring to foreground as the "F" word.....

My dream has come true.

Construction began last July on the former turkey barn and former studio of my former landlord, Joe. A wonderful builder, Sabino Talavera made it happen with my drawings and joint decisions with Carol and him. Three months later we openend. Each of the two cabins has a unique personality with special touches that both Carol and I keep adding. Cabin 1 sports a Western theme and private outdoor area surrounded by a wood fence with a hand painted window by Carol.

Cabin #2 has a warm Southwest theme, bright studio and will soon get its own private outdoor space. Each cabin has attached fenced yards for the dogs that sometimes come with their owners.

We began with a 20% occupancy rate which climbed to 68% in a few short months. I love getting the cabins ready for the next guests and surprising them with all the amenities at reasonable prices - full kitchen, laundry, living areas and bedroom plus their own private studio! Each cabin has everything I wanted to find when I first came to New Mexico. And the best part is seeing artists and artist groups come enjoy the area and cabins and studios.

The most recent artist group consisted of four avid plein aire painters from Massachusetts who call themselves "The Massachusetts Four". For two weeks they painted outdoors during the day, in my large teaching studio at night - in watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastel! Louise Minks of Leverett, MA did the paintings below from the landscapes nearby and the '36 Chevy truck that lives here at the Ranchito. Of their painting trip, she says....

"Our painting group loved the warm and charming, simple yet well designed spaces in our cabin. Jan is so gracious, generous and fun! The quiet nights, ideal location, country walks and excellent guidance from Jan (for painting and eating!) made our trip very memorable." Louise Minks for the Massachusetts Four. You can contact Louise and see her studio here.

My dream has certainly come true. We are currently reserving cabins into fall and winter - and their success has exceeded all my expectations. If you would like to see more about the cabins, click here.. FYI - I have discontinued the B&B, which was part of my house.

In April, Carol and I finally found the "mobile studio" we needed for near and far trips. The 16ft. Casita is easily pulled by my Outback - and offers nearly all the amenities. We took it to California for a teaching gig, and then home again stopping for lots of favorite activities along the way. Carol is busy making it even better for the next gig.

• Bruce MacEvoy's Website http://www.handprint.com/ This may be one of the best or longest or most amazing sites I've ever visited. Check out the watercolor area (designated by a color wheel). Mr. MacEvoy was a Yahoo technocrat until his retirement, when he took up watercolor - and has meticulously researched it all - from paints to color theory to books about the medium. I have some dear friends who printed it all out to fill six 3" binders - but don't let that stop you! There are some real treasures to find in here.

• A New Brush! I found a new favorite brush for helping me to get some precision as well as the wash! It's a Dick Blick 3/4" synthetic angular wash brush - and only $7. As many of you know, I use my 1" flat wash brush for 90% of my painting - and now my new angular flat is helping out - to tuck in some paint to the crevices of a rock, a flower... Check it out. Just type in the item #05842-4134 when you open up the site. And - while you are at it, compare the Dick Blick prices with Cheap Joe's! I did. Dick Blick beats Cheap Joe's prices across the board! Save from 11 cents to $4.00 a tube on Winsor Newton paints and the website is sooo easy to use. Dick Blick Art Materials Free shipping with orders over $200. You won't be sorry!

• Watercolor - the Mysteries Under it All, July 11, 12, 13 Coconino Community college, Flagstaff, Arizona. Click here for more information

• Watercolor: Process and Passion. July 25, 26, 27, 2003 Coconino Community College, Flagstaff, Arizona. Click here for more information, or check my website..

• Glazing & Finishing Your Watercolor Paintings Sat and Sun., Sept 6 and 7 at Ranchito San Pedro in Española, New Mexico., $275 plus tax includes 3 nights at my place in a cabin. Click here for more information

• Painting the Colors of Fall Friday, Sat, Sun, Mon October 10-13. $85/day, workshop only. Accommodations at nearby motels since the cabins are full! But - with the Comfort lnn less than a mile close, and plenty of room in the studio - we'll do just fine! Some materials included.

• On the Trail of O'Keeffe at Ghost Ranch, Fall Session, Sept 19 - 26. $895 plus tax. Full. Waiting List only. Email me to express interest in next year.

"1500 Miles in a '38 Plymouth"

A road trip that Carol and I made three years ago - from Grants Pass, Oregon to Española, New Mexico in 6+ memorable days........
Please see HartNews Vol. 2 for Days 1 -- 6 in Archives (above)- Last reported, we were dragging ourselves into La Quinta motel in Orem, Utah and had noticed that the back right tire was low.

Day 6: Saturday, July 1. Orem, Utah to Green River, Utah 150 mi.

We spent a restful night at the La Quinta. We knew when we went into the motel that the right back tire was going down. So - as we made coffee in our room, I called the AARP emergency number and told them we needed someone to inflate our tire so we could drive to a tire dealer. A very nice tow truck driver came out, faster then we had planned on – and agreed to hang around until we’d finished packing up, got our coffee and cruised through the continental breakfast to see what was available. Then – with tire pumped up, he actually led us to Randy’s tire service. When we got confused, he honked, waved us on and led us right on in. The tire changer was a young kid, eager to help. He recognized that the valve was cracked and began the process we’d already experienced earlier. When he discovered that the inner tube was not fixable, he put on the spare and added some air. BANG! The valve stem blew out! Hm. The assistant manager was a frantic type and said he didn’t think we’d be able to find a tube in all of the area but that he could order one and it might be in on Monday, though Monday was July 3 and one of the days of a 4th of July holiday. He went on to exclaim that inner tubes are not stocked anymore - and went back to his busy-ness. We looked at each other and wondered what to do. Perhaps it was time to buy new tires? Forget that – the size we needed was not available either. Carol walked to the car and told the news to the tire changer who had replaced the valve and witnessed the spare explosion. He shook his head. It was hard for us to believe that this was the way our adventure was to end – with the whimper and bang of a tire. We approached another man who was standing nearby appreciating the car. He turned out to be the manager, Rick. Carol asked him if we could use his phone book to call around pretending that we hadn't already been told by the assistant manager that the phone was for private use only. He smiled and walked immediately into the office with us in tow and began his own search. Ten minutes later he had located three innertubes that were slightly bigger than we needed, but would work. He said he'd have it all ready in about an hour. Once again the right person had stepped up to help. So - we spent our free hour at a conveniently located thrift store that we’d happened to see on our way in –searching for treasures. Finally we got on the road at 3 p.m.! It won’t be a long long day today…..Later in the afternoon we crawled over a summit – Soldier’s Summit at 7474-ft. the highest Elizabeth has been – and the highest on the trip. She seemed to just cruise along - doing well today after being newly outfitted in footwear, or wheel wear with three new inner tubes.

Arriving in Green River, we searched for a motel. We have definitely become experts in motel searching, understanding that you ask for what you want and the prices have little or nothing to do with the quality and cleanliness of the rooms! We selected the Shady Lane Motel for its wonderful old neon sign – and were rewarded with a comfortable room at a very reasonable price.

Day 7, July 2 Sunday Green River, Utah – Moab, UT – Monticello, UT – Cortez, CO – Farmington, NM – Cuba, NM – Abiquiu, NM – Espanola.
475 miles

It was Sunday morning, July 2 – the last day of our trip! Green River, Utah. We spent a restless night because of ghosts. It seemed that the old motel was haunted with spirits that bumped around and kept waking us up. Oh well. We were eager to get started on his sunny, beautiful day. Our plan was to head to Moab, then to Cortez (the Four Corners area), and then down into New Mexico We got gassed up and headed out.

Everything is working beautifully, a quart of oil every 300 miles, approx. 18-20 mpg.
Carol studied the map. "We’ll go to Cortez, then Shiprock and Farmington, over to Cuba. We’ll then go through Youngsville, into Abiquiu and on into Espanola."

I replied that we really had planned it right in terms of the mountains and we had been lucky with the weather. It could have been really hot from Provo down to Green River – in the 100’s – but it was generally cool with a few sprinkles of rain - very pleasant. It was a little humid so we didn’t use our manual evaporative cooling with a squirt bottle as much. As we drove, I enjoyed the morning light on the incredible eroded badlands. I thought of thick, oozing extrusions formed by the water and wind. The forms were wonderful; those that I’d love to paint.

At nightfall we were about 25 miles from Abiquiu with a little bit of twilight and our brights on – and Carol was able to see ahead - barely. Today has been a long, relatively uneventful drive from Green River, Utah to home. A long haul – about 400 miles I think. With some cloud cover, we couldn't rely on moonlight to help us – but we made do. The car was sounding great. Considering we still had the grunge in the gas tank, we believed that that 18-20 mpg was terrific. Bouncing around the Pedernal, there were very few other cars – and the ribbon on the hood had long since stopped moving. It was stiff. Time to get home.

I thought about one of our gas stops. After we put half the gas in the tank, added the ounce of lead additive, topped it off and put the gas cap back on – I walked in to pay. The young woman behind the counter looked up and asked, "What number?", referring to the number of the gas pump. I replied that I wasn’t sure, but that it was that blue car as I gestured to the Plymouth. She looked and replied, "Oh, the hot rod." I was stunned. Hot-rod? I should have responded with an "Excuse me – that, my dear is a collectible classic original antique vehicle. It is NOT a hot rod. Nor will it ever be. I just knew that my Dad was listening. We even had the distinct feeling he came along on the trip. He was possibly even the ghost that kept us awake in Green River.

We continued on past Cuba, high beams feebly glowing in the thick dark. A car came up behind us and we enjoyed its lights, surrounding us with light. The Plymouth cast a very long shadow in the center of light. Very nice. The trick was to keep them there. Carol reported that by driving in the middle of the road they appeared reluctant to pass.
Over the past several days I have gained a great respect for Elizabeth. If other people drive the car, like my sons or others – I need to be very clear that it is not to be driven over 45 mph. It’s not whether the car can be pushed to go faster. It can. But it is not designed to be pushed that hard. This car is 62 years old. That is a lot of years.

Carol: "If you do run it that slowly and take good care of it, it’ll last the rest of your life, Jan"
Jan: "That sounds like a very good goal. I’m kind of attached to this car. This trip has been a bonding experience. And as far as I’m concerned, I consider this car is yours, too, Carol."
Carol: "I feel like I know the car a little bit now."
Jan: "A little bit? I think you know the fuel pump intimately – as well as the gas lines, undersurface, wheels, trunk – on and on….."

We rolled past Abiquiu dam and the Abiquiu Inn – familiar country now - the home stretch. As we neared home - Española, known also as the "lowrider capitol of the world", we were somber. We felt like we should be welcomed home with a banner stretched across Hwy 84. Or a parade. Finally we decided that we'd make our own entry - through Sonic Burger Drive-In. - the local cruiser hang out. We didn't expect much on a Sunday night, but it sounded better than anything else. We turned off the highway using the left arm signal and drove slowly around to the Drive-In's opposite side to park. We were definitely getting the once over. The guys in their long, low cars are streaming by and staring. We ignored.. Some came through again and again, slowing to look and admire. They reminded me of sharks - circling, circling. Don't mind us, boys - just two old women in an old car. We ordered lightly according to our meager cash reserves - Carol's $2 and my $8. My green chili cheeseburger tasted like heaven and Carol was happy with her extra long coney without chili. And we munched to the rhythm of the rap music and bass tones. We were home.

Look for another edition of HartNews by fall. And don't forget to let me know how you liked this issue amd what you'd like to see in the next. Email me. here.

News with Jan at the Ranchito...

Artist Cabins set to begin construction in a few days. Sabino, my builder, is ready to begin, Joe, my former Landlord-present tenant is moving out, Carol and I are collecting things to move in and I'm excited to start! I'll keep you up to date! If you want to know more about the Artist Cabins, check Vol. 2 or my website. I hope to have one unit ready for rental in September - a perfect time to visit New Mexico ! Introductory rate = $1000 for the entire month of September! That's just a little over $30/day! It'll be fully furnished, everything you need - ready for you!!! 2 twins or king sized bed, kitchen, living area, full bath and studio!

Back from the Northwest! After 2 weeks in the moisture laden atmosphere of Port Townsend and Seattle, we're back to dry skin! Carol and I drove the 1600 miles so we could enjoy some of the great scenery along the way - and we did. Other than an alternator and battery replacement just outside of Moab, we did just fine. Thanks so much, Seattle Co-Arts and Daniel Smith!!

On the Horizon - Workshops, Etc.
Summer is in full swing - with "Summer Drop In" hours at the studio - Wednesday eves and Thursday mornings. During the summer I encourage my students to take on a subject or an idea that they'd like to pursue for the eight weeks. I meet them in the studio and help as they progress through their own series of paintings.

• 
  "Creating a Powerful Landscape Painting in Watercolor" July 26 - 28 Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona Call Connie Taylor for more information (928) 523-0499. connie.taylor@nau.edu

• "On the Trail of O'Keeffe at Ghost Ranch" Fall session, Sept. 13 - 20. The workshop is full but I am starting a waiting list to fill any cancellations.
• 
  "Painting the Colors of Fall", October 18 - 21, Ranchito San Pedro in Española. Come for 1 - 4 days - $80/day or $465 for 5 nights/4 days, double occupancy. 10 people max. Some materials included.. There's still room!

Carol, once again under the hood - with dappled light spilling over her and the car.

"1500 Miles in a '38 Plymouth"

A road trip that Carol and I made two years ago - from Grants Pass, Oregon to Española, New Mexico in 6+ memorable days........
Please see HartNews Vol. 2 for Days 1-4 in Archives (above)-

Day 5 June 29, Thursday (Klamath Falls to Winnemucca to Battle Mountain, Nevada) 250 miles

We woke in Klamath Falls - to a beautiful day with a little breeze. No continental breakfast. No coffee. Oh well. At least we were moving!!! We stopped at an automotive supply store on our way out of town to pick up a headlight tester. While I drove, Carol tested. She finally got the headlights to work by wiggling the wires around. I probably would have kicked it. Now we knew we'd be ready in case we had to drive in the dark.
We trudged along and looked ahead. Mountain passes. Our first climb would show us what we were up against. We braced ourselves, leaned forward (as if it would help), and silently encouraged the heavy blue car up, up, up and over Dougherty Rim! At 6240 ft. elevation, we celebrated! We had climbed the highest peak so far - and were still moving! The temperature gauge had reached a hair short of 212 degrees but we made it! Wally had admonished, "Easy does it" – so we kept the 45 mph max. rule in force. I relaxed my heavy foot. We knew it would be a long day ahead, but were eager and excited to have a full day on the road inside the car instead of beside or under it.
Somewhere on a remote straightaway, with white salt flats surrounding us, Elizabeth began a hesitancy followed by a remembered lurching and slowing. A familiar sound. The engine wasn’t getting fuel. Carol suspected the fuel line was clogged and said we needed to get off the road so she could check. The two lane highway stretched endlessly ahead. There were no side roads or shoulder other than an impossible slope on both sides bridging to the calcium carbonate covered desert below. Where could we pull off? The car slowed and gasped again. Down to 10 mph we desperately looked for any negotiable turn out – and spotted it! A scrub covered dirt road 30 feet ahead! Gratefully we coasted over and down to a stop, off the highway. Carol climbed under the rear of the car to the fuel line leading from the gas tank to the fuel pump. Now to clear the line. She had only her breath with which to blow – so she did. The gas reversed and shot back into her face and mouth!!! She spit and choked and then cleaned and replaced the fuel filter, which was again filled with gunk. I am always so impressed watching Carol with a mechanical problem. She just dives in and gets it done! She reasoned that because the gas level was getting low, the gunk that usually settled lowest in the tank was able to get into the line, plugging up the filter and not allowing gas to get to the engine. We unpacked the two plastic gas containers and poured 5 gallons into the tank, hoping to keep the gas level high at the intake and above the sedimentary crud. It worked! The car managed to take hold and off we went again. Carol was covered in grease, gasoline and calcium carbonate!! Tar and feathers couldn’t have been worse. As we chugged along I kept an uneasy eye on her. I could see that she didn't feel well. No wonder, having sucked in and showered with gasoline! She dozed a bit and drank water - and we pulled off at Battle Mountain, Nevada for the evening and night.

Day 6 June 30, Friday Battle Mountain, Nev – Salt Lake City, Utah – Orem, Utah. 500 miles)
When we got up we knew that we would have a long day ahead. headed for Elko, Nevada to Salt Lake City on Hwy 80 East, thinking that this is the best way to stay out of mountains and heat. Elizabeth is happy now – with a full radiator, gas, and oil. We were a quart low on oil, too. We had a great night at the Best Motel in Battle Mountain and a good meal at the restaurant/casino lounge next door with a nice waitress that says she has never left Battle Mountain! She planned to go to school in Arizona when she could get enough money together. She was great, sending us off to bed with an extra iced tea and a good luck. We were overdressed even with Carol’s grease soaked shirt and pants! We found that you could not be underdressed in this town – a big bonus for us. It’s a cloudy day, but warm. First we’re heading for the BPW thrift shop on Second Street. For the first time ever the temperature in the car is below 160 degrees.
All day I drove while Carol rested. She was still feeling the effects of the gasoline in her face the day before. Her lymph nodes were swollen and she felt nauseated - but didn't think it would do any good to stop.
We rolled endlessly past mountains to the south, having chosen the interstate in order to cut through the peaks instead of over them. The day was overcast with some evidence of rain ahead. It looked like virga - the southwestern phenomenon in which the rain evaporates before it reaches the ground. We kept the speedometer at 40 – 45, allowing every car and truck on the interstate to pass and stare - usually with a honk or thumbs up. I watched the red, white and blue banner that we'd tied to the front - frayed ends flapped frantically in the wind over the radiator. It began to look like it was alive. Desert mirages….
Along the seemingly endless straightaway, we experimented with ways to make ourselves more comfortable while driving. With the vent and windows wide open, we found plenty of fresh air available. And then we discovered the joy of wind wings! These triangular operable windows were standards of yesteryear and allowed the ample fresh air coming in the open window to be directed wherever needed in the car, away from faces. Simultaneously, the open vent scooped up fresh air from above the hood and supplied it to our feet! Suddenly we had an idea! Using a plastic spray bottle filled with water we could enjoy manual air conditioning. Whoever was not driving could occasionally spray water into the stream of dry air at the floor - evaporative cooling! Pretty impressive! We wondered if Elizabeth held any more rudiments of modern day driving conveniences. Oh yes - cruise control! The simple knob for the hand throttle, when pulled out, enabled us to set our speed for cruise - 45 mph, steady.
The straightaways were one thing, grades were another. Seeing a climb ahead signalled attention and some concern. We hit the climb at full speed - 50 mph - and started up Emigrant Summit, 6000+ feet. 3rd gear, wide open! Then we found ourselves stuck behind a big truck hauling heavy equipment and had to slow to 2nd gear. Urging Elizabeth on, we watched the temperature gauge climb up to 180, 200. Then, we cheered Elizabeth up to the top of the pass and over! Going down the other side we coasted so that the engine wasn't doing any work at all. The temperature gauge said it all - 150 and falling! It felt great to speed up, though a little out of control! Imagine feeling out of control at 60 mph!
Entering Utah from Nevada, we proceeded along at our usual 45 mph creep. We were surpristed that we were getting very used to it and enjoying being able to actually see and identify plants along the way. Off to our right we watched a heavy downpour of rain. We knew that if it was raining on the climb ahead, we'd have to wait it out or not use the windshield wipers. Somehow, the wind shield wipers work on a vacuum system that prevents them from doing their job if the engine is straining. Their speed coincides with rpms to my mind. The smell of the wet sage permeated the air. If we had to wait out the rain, we'd enjoy the aroma of sage! Looking ahead we knew that once we got to Wendover, we’d be on the edge of about 100 miles of the Great Salt Lake Desert
After stopping at a restaurant to get a bite to eat and relax a bit, we returned to the car and noticed one of the tires was low. Luckily there was a gas station just across the way. The attendant looked over the tire and discovered that the tire valve was leaking. And then, while looking into that, he noticed that the inner tube was excessively and dangerously patched. That was my Dad's way, all right. An inner tube would be patched until there was no more available rubber on which to place a patch before it was discarded. The attendant gave us directions to a tire garage close by where we were able to purchase a new inner tube and a lug wrench. By then it was 4:30 p.m. - and we still hadn't begun the desert trek. I wished I'd thought ahead to apply RainX to the windshield. No time. We just climbed back into the car and started out across the Great Salt Lake Desert.
Along the 100 miles of straightaway with no services available, we experienced some of the joys of driving in the rain! The wipers! An all out war seemed to be waged between the right and left blades! Each had its own individual and unsynchronized speed – so occasionally they hit each other. Not often, just occasionally. The driver could play with acceleration and deceleration in order to alter the wiper speed during the heaviest rain but could not really control it. I never did figure out why occasionally one would stop altogether. Then we noticed some drama with the wind wing. There was a hole where the rubber seal didn't quite reach to the bottom edge of the glass. Water began shooting out onto Carol's shoulder. We guessed that it was another evaporative cooling mechanism. Carol remarked that we'd need some gum for the hole! It was something one needed to be prepared for, I guess. Just like bailing wire, gum should be part of the mandatory equipment for a long drive in an old car
Finally we drove into Salt Lake City, where we hit heavy traffic and more rain. No problem. We'd become accustomed to maneuvering the wipers and decided to look for another Best Hotel. We had a coupon. We found one near the University. On a Friday night it was noisy, busy and too crowded - much too crowded for two very tired women needing a good night's sleep. We set out to find another place. Suddenly we noticed how dark it was. I pulled the light knob and found to my dismay that we could only use the low beams, which provided insufficient light. We reasoned that we'd be able to be seen but we couldn't see well in the constant rain. Since there were no other hotels close by, we decided to go back where we'd seen them. Back onto the freeway. Hugging the right lane, we crept slowly along. It was just too scary to be there at night in the rain, with fast traffic swooshing by. At the next exit we got off and chugged up a road. Carol drove. She had the best night vision. But truthfully, neither of us could see well. Finally, and luckily, we found La Quinta!! We feared that it would be too expensive, but were willing to pay. To our delight - it was just right, very nice and exceedingly comfortable. Thank you, La Quinta!!! As we lugged in our bags we noticed the right back tire was low. We'd deal with it in the morning.

Next Issue - will we actually get to Española?
-

HartNews will be continued next month. I plan to do a step by step painting from my workshop coming up on the 20th and 21st. Please ask to be deleted if you'd rather not receive it.