(Translation: "Pastures- Cow Spring") This painting depicts a view of the southernmost rockies from Glorieta, (Rowe) Mesa. The ghost village of Ojo de la Vaca is almost invisible along the county road heading north toward Glorieta Baldy,  the Santa Fe Sangre de Cristos, and the Truchas Peaks in the distance.  This mesa was transversed by ancient and modern Indian cultures, Spanish Conquistadores, a Civil War army, and by many local dry farming families. After the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, many of the farmers sold out to lumber mills. The once Ponderosa Pine covered hills were clear-cut, and are now mostly covered with round Junipers and tall Pinon.  The clear cut areas lend a wonderful mosaic to the landscape, though I am saddened by the loss of the Ponderosa.  
I have spent years  painting this mesa, scrambled around many of the hills and canyons depicted here.  I have had, and still have friends around Ojo de La Vaca,  and even lived near there for a couple of years.  This is a pretty good record of the landscape I have gotten to know. Undoubtedly it will become developed and changed in the future, but for this moment in egg tempera,-(egg tempera will last for hundreds, even thousands of years, please read my short essay)- it is still relatively pristine...   
This painting is framed with a wrapped linen liner, and a simple wide moulding that I think works very well. Peter de La Fuente

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