Dust and Rain and Rainbows

A pattern is emerging.

I'm up early to paint but manage to cruise the town searching for old trucks, vintage trailers, great light, interesting buildings (is this procrastination?) all "on my way" to my morning paint out. 

Didn't take long and I managed to be out, set up and painting by 8:30. Gratefully today was cool, which felt great. I've been on the verge of ENOUGH wind! ENOUGH hot dry weather... So morning clouds and that fresh smell was a great way to say hello to the day. Found a pull out down a dirt road in town. It follows the Rio Grande and has a  few spots to soak in hot springs for free or sit and watch the river. A few people here and there at first but then it was just me.

I pushed shapes and colors and temperature today and ended up with a little piece I'm very happy with. It is 8x8 so didn't take too long... Good thing.

A car drove by, going a little fast, churning up dust. Fine. Whatever. I barely register them... They come back. They turn into my little pull out and turn the car in a circle, I think oh, they wanted to come back and see what I'm painting. Nope. Maybe? What they did, guy and girl, was slow down by me and then PEAL OUT, kicking up rocks and dust all over the place and raced off with stupid grins back the way they were heading originally. Well, thank you very much A-Holes. 

Painting was done anyway, I'd begun cleaning up when they went by the first time. I left.

After that I just needed to get away from this town. I went for a drive up to Elephant Butte lake but felt like I needed to just leave. So... I went for a drive!

Drove 70 miles to the next town, Socorro. Great mountains, big clouds, it's got a great historic town center square like Sonoma... Of course it's still empty and downtrodden but it has character and it's new! It also has a coffee shop that was OPEN! So with my treasure of a latte I drove over to a terrific old church where I set up to paint.

Walked about to scout best angle, best light, safest place to park, took photos... then sat in the back of the wagon sketching the church onto a small maple panel. It was getting darker and later so I thought I could get a quick study in before heading back. Nope! First the sky got dark, then thunder cracks and lightning... Rain! Big fat drops and then crazy downpour! Got my sketch done though!

Rained all the way back. Big fluffy white clouds commingling with dark low clouds with streaks of rain showers visible underneath. 

But there was also a rainbow.