Colorado Central Cover Art

I am pleased to share that my painting "Celestial Mountain Night" has been chosen to be the cover art for the December issue of Colorado Central Magazine.  This is a regional magazine that aims to 'help to build a sense of place, a regional community, and a local culture in Central Colorado and the San Luis Valley. We have subscribers throughout Colorado, New Mexico, the U.S. and even overseas. 

I painted "Celestial Mountain Night" earlier in October for my son's 5th birthday so it being on the cover of a magazine that covers the region where he was born was an added bonus for us. Actually both my sons were born at SLV Health in Alamosa. 

As you can see both boys were excited to see a familiar image on the cover of this interesting and informative magazine. Just flipping through the pages, you can see that there is a lot of unique, original content. I'm really looking forward to reading each article.

Well, they got a little too excited a bit too quickly but thankfully no magazines were hurt in the process =)

 

If you turn to page 4, you will find a photo of me with one of my glass mosaic landscapes inspired by the most prominent mountain in the San Luis Valley, that is a beloved regional landmark seen from practically every part of the valley. On this page you can read a little bit about me and my artwork.

 

 

If you'd like to pick up a copy locally, buy an annual subscription or order a copy of the December issue with my artwork as the cover, click this link to see where and how you can do so:  https://coloradocentralmagazine.com/where-to-buy/

Lotus Emerges at Mystic Valley Sculpture Park

My ceramic sculpture "Lotus Emerges" has just been installed at our 40 Acre Mystic Valley Sculpture Park in Mosca, Colorado near the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Last year it was installed for the Annual Outdoor Art Exhibit 'Artscape' in nearby Alamosa - the central city of the San Luis Valley. To see photos of it in town as well as photos of the making of the sculpture check out my post from last year: The Making of Lotus Emerges Sculpture

Pulling the sculpture via a cart to its new permanent location in the sculpture park that Kyle and I have been building for the last 4 years.

Kyle prepping the pedestal for installation.

The sculpture is double sided, so here Ethan and Kyle were modeling the sides for me to choose from to pick the best orientation. 

 

Kyle rotating the sculpture before securing it in place.

 

Teamwork!

A Frame at Mystic Valley Sculpture Park

This is one of the tiny house projects that my partner Kyle and I have constructed for our family and friends to enjoy while visiting our 40 acre Sculpture Park in Mosca, Colorado home of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Our tiny a-frame opens up to a view the surrounding mountains offering a unique camping experience. Inside are 2 beds with colorful linens and a buddy heater as not everyone is used to the chilly, high desert nights. Outside is a firepit with seating and a picnic table. We have a communal shaded area where we can all gather and escape the hot sunshine that is present most of the year. Art is installed throughout our creative outdoor space set in a rural, Alpine Desert. Scroll down for a few examples of our growing outdoor art collection. We hope to start outdoor art classes and other creative activities soon as well as hopefully opening our sculpture park to the public in the Summer of 2022.

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Below are a few of the sculpture at the 40 acre property. Currently there are over 20 art installations, some consisting of upto 6 individual sculptures. The founders of the park, Kasia and Kyle, and new work seasonally.

Painting a Mural at a Cabin at Mystic Valley Sculpture Park

At the beginning of Spring, I started a mural project in our new cabin. I painted a mountain scene inspired by the views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that surround our 40 acre sculpture park.

When the sun begins to set over the mountains in the San Luis Valley, often there is a beautiful burst of color. At times it is in the sky, while other times the mountains themselves can look lit up and glow with warmth. I took this photo from our sunset viewing bench in late Autumn. I used the color of the mountains from that evening to be my inspiration for the new mural.

Kyle and I built this cabin over the Winter. It faces the mountains that inspired the mural within it. You can actually see the mountains reflected in the windows.

The campsite is set up in a way for guests to be able to enjoy the incredible view of Mt Blanca right from their site which includes a firepit with a grill swivel, two Adirondack chairs as well as a nice size picnic table.

Even though this site is only for two guests, the picnic table is pretty spacious =)

I pretty much speed painted the mural but still it was a pretty neat experience to work on a much bigger canvas than usual. 

The mural is a wonderful way to greet the guests. You don't have to feel bad about leaving the mountain views behind when you walk it when you have your own, personal mountain view inside. Plus the large windows in the cabin do provide panoramic views of the outside landscape.

Overview of the cabin interior. Its a small studio space 10' by 16'. There is a queen sized bed with fresh linens, pillows, a comforter plus additional blankets. An artsy coatrack hangs on the door. Next to is is a bar table with 2 stools overlooking the mountains out the window. 

Next to the bed is a chair to kick back in. Additionally, there is some counter space with a camping stove and a teapot. There is also a cooler that can keep food and drinks cool for upto 4 days.

The cabin has solar electricity and lights. There is also an outlet for charging phones and laptops - nothing too crazy though as the power is limited. We provide a buddy heater with propane for those extra cold nights.

From the cabin, you can see the other fun, colorful structures on the property plus the Great Sand Dunes National Park in the background set against Mt Herard. Visit AirBnB to book a stay at our Mystic Valley Sculpture Park: https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/409508044

Back to the cabin =) We oriented the cabin to face the mountain views so we can't get a photo of it with the mountains but guests can enjoy lovely views of their surroundings instead.

 

Planning to visit the San Luis Valley and The Great Sand Dunes National Park? Book your stay at our cabin at the remote, 40 Acre Sculpture Park here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/619100882942996332

 

Below are just a few of the couple dozen art and sculpture pieces that we've installed at the park so far. Each guest who visits is helping to grow our creative vision. Each year we add new artwork for the small batch of guests who stumble upon our hidden, alpine desert oasis!