Live and Learn New Mexico!

My dad appreciated and loved indigenous art. He passed that love on to me as I grew up. I have Amado Pena posters he bought and framed for me when I graduated college. They hang on my walls today. How he came to love this art, I'll never know. His last name was McClary...Scottish...and he had a great love, too, for his heritage. We even lived a year in Scotland, which meant the world to him, and he collected art there.  I believe he lived many lives. Once he was indigenous himself (I think he was Navajo) and he felt the memories of past lives in this modern indigenous art.  Although he was a scientist who believed in logic and "facts", my dad had an innate understanding of magic. This art spoke to him on a spiritual level. Ironically, the strongest message I got from Dad is that the world is magical. Art is magic.  These are not the only pieces in the collection he left behind. I may share more in future posts. U

Is it the tree or the sky that makes this picture? It's both, a partnership of sorts. The tree connects the sky and earth. At least, that's how I see it.  I've enjoyed some popularity with the photos I share on social media. I think much of the appeal of my snaps is the composition...how the individual elements fit together to evoke a feeling or emotion... Albuquerque's east mountain area and its winds are powerful. They are what make the skies so amazing. Like the trees, it is true New Mexico spirit to bend and endure.  Well tended acres. There are several successful farms in the area. Beans are a popular crop. Trees line property boundaries.  Old deserted homesteads... dreams left behind? When I see these old properties with shade trees and outbuildings like sheds, chicken houses and stables, I find myself imagining what life was like back in the day. Was this homestead a dream to someone? A dream realized? I would love