Hidden Taos
For the fourth consecutive year Bob is attending one of the watercolor workshops given by Taos artist and potter Stephen Kilborn. The theme Bob selected this year is Hidden Taos, little known locations in the Taos area. This would seem to b a perfect fit since Bob’s favorite subject matter is adobe architecture.
The Kilborn workshops focus on abstracting the landscape. Bob doesn’t approach his paintings with a great deal of abstraction but the weeklong workshops have proven to be great inspiration and motivation. Through these experiences he has found his own style and technique.
The basic format for the workshops is on location sketching in the morning before arriving at the Kilborn studio in Pilar, New Mexico. After a delicious lunch prepared by Stephen’s wife, LaVerne, participants spend the afternoon painting in the studio. Nearing 4:00pm it’s time for margaritas and a critique of the days work. Participants come from multiple states and art experience ranging from novices to art teachers, a comfortable environment for all.
On Monday, the first day of class, the group sketched and gained inspiration from Pilar’s surrounding vistas of mesas, pinon pines and the Rio Grande. Bob never finishes a painting in one afternoon but he got a great start, even having time to incorporate hundreds of his tiny squares. We’ll see the finished painting sometime in the future.
Winter in Gothic 
Art by Robert Yackel 