Autumn at Cumbres Pass 2025

I finally experienced the changing of the seasons in northern New Mexico and Colorado, something I had always wanted to see. I planned an extended stay with my partner’s father for the fall, hoping to catch the aspens at their peak. I was a little late arriving, and most of the leaves at Cumbres Pass had already fallen, but a few beautiful trees still stood in full color.

This sketch captures one of them, a tree that felt especially mature and dignified to me. I had forgotten some important supplies, including my camera and clean water for watercoloring, so I used water from a nearby puddle instead. It was a bit muddy, but I was grateful to have it. I painted until the sun left the tree which was only about 20 min. I also learned about the difficulties of plein air painting when the weather is crisp. The water would never evaporate! Lesson learned… Days like this remind me how much I love exploring and creating outdoors, even when things do not go exactly as planned.

Watercolor on paper. 20 min sketch