Gila Ruins in Sepia

This is the second painting project for the Watercolor Workshop group for the month of February, they both have had the sepia theme - a favorite of mine! I wanted to paint something looser and free after the tightness required by the satins and lace painting and this fit the bill.

These cliff dwelling ruins were near Silver City, NM and required a long, hot climb to reach them. However, once there, I was able to climb into portions of the ruins, including on a very long ladder to reach some of the upper portions. This is a protected site by the National Parks Service and one of the few cliff dwelling sites we have seen that allows this option to experience the ruins from the inside of the dwellings. This was done about five years ago, before increasing physical limitations started so I doubt I will do anything quite this arduous again, but I certainly have the photos and memories to prove I once could do it!

Now, onto something with a bit more color.....