The Colors of Taos

On Saturday, I spent a couple of hours walking around the plaza in Taos looking specifically for things with bright colors to match my bright springtime mood.  In the soft spring sunshine, they were easy to find.

Despite the predominately earth tones of its adobe and stucco buildings, Taos is splashed with brilliantly colored windows, doors and sidewalk art, along with many surprises.

Taos was established around 1615 as Fernandez de Taos, following the Spanish conquest of the Indian Pueblo villages in the area.  The name Taos derives from the Native Taos language meaning "place of the red willows."

Beginning around 1900, artists began to settle in Taos, forming the Taos Society of Artists in 1915.  In time, the Taos art colony developed, and art remains a strong influence in the town's culture today.

As I stepped out of my truck and onto Paseo del Pueblo Sur, I spotted this couple strolling past turquoise-painted store fronts.  The man's t-shirt and the woman's skirt picked up the colors of the store fronts, tile roofs, and the wares displayed on the sidewalks.  Even her bag picked up the surrounding colors.

Color-coordinated Couple

Taos is nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, and the mountains are visible from anywhere  in town.

Mountain View 

With the warm springtime temperatures and a sunny, dry day, lots of folks brought their classic cars out of winter storage to cruise the streets of Taos.  I barely snapped this 1956 Chevy Bel Air post, complete with wire wheels, as it whizzed by.  Nice!

Chevy Bel Air

I continued up Paseo del Pueblo Sur where I passed a shop showing these metal wind bells.  I couldn't resist snapping this cheerful and artfully done display.  Notice how the bells' wind catchers follow the top line of the shrubs.

Wind Bells

After enjoying an ice cream cone and exploring side streets for a while, I turned towards the plaza.  Here I encountered this wooden Indian guarding a store front.

Store Front Indian

Just look at this fun and inviting toy store.  What child - of any age - could resist!

Toy Store

In the plaza park, I encountered several of these benches. The cameos on the bench backs each show what appears to be a European agricultural scene.  If anyone reading this knows the significance or symbolism of these, I'd sure like to know.

Park Bench

I browsed many of the art galleries and shops that surround the plaza, but none showed anything as fun and whimsical as these larger-than-life metal chickens.

Colorful Chickens

To find out more about what to see and do in Taos, click here.  This site provides lots of ideas and info on restaurants, galleries and seasonal activities.

I also captured a couple of new images to add to my Southwest Windows collection, and I'll have them up on my website soon.

Cheers til later....Gail.
www.gailyovanphotos.com

All images and text ©2014 Gail Diane Yovanovich

Snapshots from Old Town

On Sunday, I hopped in the Blazer and drove into Old Town Albuquerque.  Just a short 40-minute drive away, I hadn't been there in quite a while, and I sure needed a break from work.  I had no lofty photographic goals, just strolling with camera to snap what appealed to me.

Old Town is the original Albuquerque, founded in 1706 by Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, the Spanish governor of New Mexico.  Spanish law at the time required setting a plaza at the center of all towns, and that plaza still exists today.

On the north side of the plaza sits the San Felipe de Neri Church constructed in 1793.  Here is a photo of one of the church's two beautiful spires and a few of its many gleaming white crosses.

San Felipe de Neri Church

Albuquerque's original settlers built their homes, shops and offices around the church and the plaza, and most have since been converted into art galleries, restaurants and gift shops.  Old Town Albuquerque is a popular tourist destination, and today the galleries and shops feature Southwestern jewelry, paintings, sculpture, textiles and pottery.

I just love the brightly colored blankets and ristras (strings of dried red chili peppers) displayed outside this shop.

Mexican Blankets and Chili Ristras

As I walked around the plaza peeking into galleries and courtyards, I found this charming scene behind a locked gate.  Chili ristras - a New Mexico staple - and turquoise-green benches brightened the scene, highlighted by a large Mexican pottery urn.

Colorful Courtyard

The architecture in Old Town today looks much as it did centuries ago, with Pueblo and Spanish style flat-roofed buildings, soft adobe contours, and brightly painted window and door frames.  Just look at this gorgeous doorway!

Turquoise Doorway

Porches line the fronts of most buildings, offering shade from the New Mexico sun, and plenty of benches provide resting places to sit and people watch.  I snapped this elderly gentleman, decked out in copious turquoise-and-silver jewelry, taking a break.

Turquoise Guy

In Old Town, you'll also find the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (lots of dinosaurs and a planetarium), the Rattlesnake Museum, the Albuquerque Little Theatre and much more.  For more info on Old Town cultural activities, see www.albuquerqueoldtown.com/cultural-activities.html.

It's a fun day, and I won't be waiting so long to get back out there again.

Cheers 'til next time....Gail.
www.gailyovanphotos.com
All images and text ©2014 Gail Diane Yovanovich

In Your Own Backyard

With the press of business upon me - getting ready for my first art fair of the season in late March, preparing for both a speaking engagement and a major exhibit in early April, working on income tax, composing an email newsletter, and more - I'll have little time for photography during the next few weeks.

In searching for a blog subject this week, I recalled times past when commitments prevented my getting on the road to explore with camera.   During those times, I would just grab the camera and head out into my own backyard for a few minutes of relaxation away from the desk and the telephone.

There's a world of photo ops in your own backyard.  In my yard in spring and summer, lots of wildflowers grow along the peripheries of my two and one-half acres. Wildflowers attract critters of all kinds, from ants and bees to butterflies, birds and rabbits.  Here are a few of these types of casual images from my archives.

The first is a Tiger Swallowtail.  This gorgeous butterfly visited a honeysuckle in my garden for quite a while and gave me lots of time to photograph it.  So pretty!

Tiger Swallowtail

Next is a katydid on prairie primrose.  Prairie primroses grow like weeds in this part of the world, and they attract a wide variety of insects.

Katydid on Primrose

Here's a bumble bee on penstemon in my garden.

Bumble Bee

Each spring, I allow several native sunflower plants to grow up near the house.  These striking plants sometimes reach heights of six feet or more, and they attract lots of birds.  They also grow like weeds and will take over the property if not controlled, so I pull most of them up early in the season.

The tiny black seeds of native sunflower are an important food source for many birds.  All finch species adore the seeds, and in the fall clouds of Pine Siskins descend on the plants.  It's so much fun to watch!  Here's a Pine Siskin feeding on a sunflower in front of my house.

Pine Siskin on Native Sunflower

Since native sunflower attracts so many insects, they also attract the insect-eating birds.  Below is a lovely Bewick's Wren gleaning insects from a sunflower stalk.  A pair of these cheeky little birds nests in one of my bird boxes each spring.

Bewick's Wren

So you see, you don't need to venture out of your own backyard to photograph nature.  Simply walk around looking for the "small picture," and you'll be surprised how much you can find.

Cheers 'til next time....Gail.
www.gailyovanphotos.com

All images and text ©2014 Gail Diane Yovanovich