A plein air painting completed over several sessions at the Borrego Trail in Hyde Memorial State Park, Santa Fe National Forest, New Mexico.

Santa Fe has one of the best aspen groves for fall leaf-peeping, and I was excited to paint there—those colors are just too inspiring! I chose a nice 4-mile loop trail called Borrego. Almost immediately, I was captivated by a stunning view of golden light coming through the trees. I felt that familiar tug of wanting to capture it, but also battled some fear of missing out on what else lay ahead. I decided to complete the entire loop before picking my painting spot. With time at my disposal, I thought scouting the area first would be a smart move.
On my first day, I started a different painting further down the trail, but that tug in my heart told me to scrap it and return to this view, which I nicknamed 'Portal.' It just felt right. I went back, and the glow wasn’t there. I realized there was a short window of opportunity, so I returned the next 3 days for that small slice of light to return. Creating this piece was a breakthrough for me. Concepts I had been trying to grasp finally clicked, making for a successful painting and an incredibly rewarding experience.

- Unlocking new artistic concepts in this piece and the feeling of progression
- An absolutely stunning location
- Loving the final work
- There wasn't a particularly good spot to sit for this view. I settled into a steep hillside, making an effort to avoid sliding down.
- I was on a pretty brutal medication which caused many discomforts to power through
- Many unleashed dogs on this trail that liked to get up close and personal.

Portal

Reno Riverwalk