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THE OPPORTUNITY to attend a painting workshop surfaced last spring, when I was visiting by phone with Mark Donner of the Fechin Art Workshops. He called to see if we could include some workshop info in this column and suggested I schedule a week on the Donner Ranch, just north of Taos, N.M., to paint.A landscape class sounded great, but I wasn't sure how the experience would be of value to our readers. But I concluded: Western paintings require western settings, so I packed for Taos.
The Donner Ranch is located just 18 miles north of Taos, 8000 feet up the slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains overlooking 100 miles of the Rio Grande Valley. The atmosphere is laid-back in a rustic and secluded setting, offering a broad range of vegetation, trees, and, of coarse, good color.
The main ranch house was built in 1906 by an Englishman named Oakley, who later settled in Taos. With 2-foot-thick adobe walls and 12-foot ceilings, the large bedrooms offer a comfortable night's rest.
Home-cooked meals are enjoyed in the dining hall with views overlooking beautiful Taos Valley. The ranch can feed and house groups of up to 20 by putting two to three people in each room with three shared bathrooms. Private accommodations are also available in the main house or outer buildings.
I need to make a special note about the food. The cooking was a combination of creativity and seasoning that made each mealtime a pleasant surprise. Also, all food was prepared with a heart-smart attitude.
Classes and meetings can be held in the unique full art studio or the main ranch house. The ranch specializes in art classes from May through October, but is also available for family retreats and ski groups. It is centrally located in what is called the Enchanted Circle--an area just minutes away form skiing, fishing, rafting, and horseback riding.
Nearby, the Taos Indian Pueblo, Rio Grande Gorde Bridge, museums, and art galleries are worth visiting.
The workshops begin with Sunday dinner and end Friday afternoon. Mediums offered are drawing, oil painting, watercolor, pastel, and sculpture, all taught by nationally acclaimed artists either in the studio or on location, or both. The information obtained from the ranch details each class and instructor.The week I chose was mid-July, taught by landscape artist Skip Whitcomb, who began with a half-day lecture in the studio, then moved into the field to paint. Skip was available during the sessions to help each artist. Slide shows, critiques, and art talk took place after each day's work.
The week was very satisfying to me. It gave me a chance to study and absorb valuable information, and at a comfortable pace. It renewed my enthusiasm for painting and provided new friendships.
- Dwayne Brech
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