Welcome!
and hello from Española, New Mexico!
This is the first volume - making note of the events, small and great, that happen in an ordinary place where I live - Ranchito San Pedro. Nearly nine years ago I came to Española from Seattle, Washington - eager, fresh, newly 50 and wrote about my adventure. And, the adventure continues. I may include some of those early chronicles as we approach the nine year anniversary date.

What is HartNews? My idea is to write about life and watercolor from where I see it. I've included in this first issue - you who are painters, friends, former guests and/or family, without your expressed permission. So&Mac255;please reply and ask to be removed from this mailing list if you'd rather not get monthly (hopefully) HartNews editions - or just delete me!
My Web Page is up and running! Just click on www.janhart.com and you'll get it. Since I built it myself I plan to regularly change it - so that it remains current. Currently I have a page on fixing a watercolor that one of my students brought me. Just click on www.janhart.com/hartnews.html

Excerpts from a 1994 letter Some of you may remember letters I wrote after I moved to Española in 1993. Here's part of one I wrote in the spring of '94.

April 18, 1994
Happy Spring from Española!I woke up this beautiful spring morning and opened my windows to hear the birds singing and saw the incredible sunlight from the portal - and thought that its been too long since I've written! So, here goes. Spring has come to northern New Mexico! Even though I woke just seven days ago to 4 inches of snow, I'm somewhat confident that we've entered spring and left the mud, cold and roof leaks of winter behind. Still, people who have long lived here remind me of the Memorial Day snow storm of 20 years ago, and I recently heard someone speak of the "monsoon time of the year" coming up. Maybe the leaks continue. Maybe they never get fixed. Every time it rains or snows I put out my bowls and buckets to collect the drops and I again complain to Gloria who again complains to Teresa who says that it'll get fixed "when Louie comes home" or "when Andreas gets to it" or "mañana". Recently I heard that the translation of the word, mañana doesn't mean tomorrow. It means, not today. I see the signs of spring's renewal everywhere - the huge and beautiful cottonwood trees in the bosque that lines the Rio Grande are just about to erupt into spring green leaves! And, as I drive I often hear the incomparable song of the Western Meadowlark. And this morning as I sat under the portal to have my capuccino, it just smelled like spring. I am so eager to get out into my favorite places to record this season in watercolor.
My watercolor classes continue - and I love them. I teach three nights a week, which sometimes is very tiring, but it leaves me with open days to paint. This summer I will be offering a class two afternoons a week in which we will go out into the landscape to paint. I can hardly wait!! Lately I have been so inspired by the cliffs of yellow, white and salmon that emerge out of the piñon covered landscape around Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch. The reflected light and the play of blue shadows never ceases to excite me. I've painted seven in the series and I still want to paint more. Life in this adobe house in the Guachupangue neighborhood of Española continues. Gloria decided recently that she'd had enough of the male dog pack which accompanies Stormy, the 7/8 wolf dog, when she goes into heat. It was time to have Stormy spayed. I was quite in agreement. Since Gloria is the only person who can touch Stormy, it was up to her determination. She began by putting the cast iron food pot (which she acquired after the neighborhood dogs took away each of her plastic, paper and stainless steel bowls) in the back of her mini van with the overhead door propped open. Her plan was to lure Stormy inside, sneak up and slam the door closed. During the week of that plan, I saw two cats and an assortment of dogs coming and going from the van - but apparently Stormy only went in when Gloria was asleep. Finally Gloria saw Stormy inside but only managed to bump her hindquarters with the closing door as Stormy bolted. The next plan was a live trap. Most of Gloria's food money for that week was spent on various tempting kinds of meat to lure Stormy into the huge contraption she had borrowed. Again, this trap was very good at capturing any critters except Stormy. There had to be another way. Finally, one morning at about 4 a.m. I heard a commotion in Gloria's part of the house. Gloria had trapped Stormy inside and had left for her early morning job at a Santa Fe bed and breakfast. The howling, barking and other noises coming from Stomy's confinement had me up early, too. Apparently Stormy gave up without too much struggle when Gloria's son John arrived to take her to the vet. Gloria called later to ask me if her part of the house was still standing and in what condition. I reported that it didn't look like any horizontal surface was intact. But - the important thing was that Stormy would not have more puppies! We all breathed a sigh of deep relief.
As life continues here in northern New Mexico, I am surprised that seven months have passed since I arrived here, full of excitement mixed with apprehension. There have been times when my experience of loneliness has made me question my move. And I continue to try to keep my balance on the edge of monetary disaster. I have loved the opportunity that I had in March, to visit Seattle, the city that feels so familiar and has served as a starting place for me in so many ways. And, though I have come to love the Southwest, the Northwest will always be held dear because of the friends, family and memories I have there. My visits there replenish me and also enable me to see and experience the contrast to my life here. I appreciate the contrast. And I know that for me now, Espanola is the place to be - located right in the middle of an incredible array of places and people. I feel so fortunate to be where, by driving 25 miles from my home gets me through and to - * Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiu and the Ghost Ranch cliffs
* bustling Santa Fe with its shops and restaurants and galleries
* the old and remote spanish town of Truchas past Chimayo and its sacred Sanctuario
* Los Alamos and Bandelier, ancient home of the Anasazi, high above the Española valley
* any of six pueblo villages
* (almost) the mesas of Taos, with its rarified atmosphere and brilliant light
I appreciate this adventure, no matter how long it lasts. And it may be a lifetime. May your life adventure also be rewarding and exciting as it unfolds. And please know that you are in my thoughts and memories! Love, Jan

Artist Cabins on the Horizon The plans for the Artist Cabins are slowly formulating. I am hopeful that I have a contractor - Sabino Talavera, who comes highly recommended but is difficult to "nail down". I think he's in Mexico right now visiting his ailing mother. Hopefully we can reach an agreement really soon so that he and his crew of sons and cousins can start on July 1 when Joe (my former landlord) moves out. The plan is for two cabins - each with a private studio, patio and each fully furnished! Carol helped design and will be my invaluable assistant in the furnishing and finishing department. Her wonderful and wacky skills and impeccable design eye are invaluable - and together we can produce magic!

What's Going on at Ranchito San Pedro?
* In the Studio Last night we had a very welcome shower, and the skies are overcast this morning, suggesting more. Oh, what a wonderful morning - fresh scrubbed air, damp earth and the most unbearably hopeful greens popping out of branches everywhere I look. I love winter, but spring is just so optimistic. And it seems really important to witness earth's prelude now. I have this urge to paint Spring!

Ranchito San Pedro B&B Guests
With spring have come guests - wonderful guests for some days at the B&B. Other than family I have had no visitors here since September 11. Now they are coming. Don Harl from Illinois and his daughter Shelly came to visit. Don has been watercolor painting for 40 years - and what a delight to talk "shop" with him! Inglis Carrê from Santa Cruz, California came to spend a few days during her spring break and blessed the studio by spending a day there painting! Leo and June are here now from Chicago! They found me on the net and have thrilled me with their wonderful descriptions of their New Mexico adventures allowing me to see this place with fresh eyes! The picture above shows Leo pushing against the prevailing posture of the rocks - man against nature? Soon I'll see famed Boston artist, Lucette White who makes her yearly trip to northern New Mexico to paint. Four years ago she stayed here at the Ranchito - but now extends her visits north and west to Chama, Abiquiu and Farmington. My pal, Carol Taschek accompanies her and together this year they'll continue their Abiquiu adventures as well as Farmington and parts north. Perhaps I'll have some glimpses of some of her work to pass on next monthS&Mac255;.And - speaking of Guests - if you'd like to come visit, just mention HartNews and I'll be happy to extend a special discount to you!

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.