Adam Finally Makes it to Truchas, NM!

Adam finally made it to Truchas! Some of you may not know it, but Adam Wimsatt is the technical brains behind the blog. It wouldn’t exist without him (see previous posts Anna and Jeane Take Albuquerque and How the Blog Was Born). In addition to this, Adam is simply an incredibly nice young man. It’s such a privilege to be doing this project with him. He also has his own blog that he is passionate about: eXtreme Aquatics. Check it out! He documents his aquarium hobby and it’s really interesting. But enough from me. Adam wanted to tell you about his Truchas trip so, without further preamble, I give you Adam:

When Jeane first told me that she was going to be moving her gallery to a new location I decided then that I’d like to visit as soon as it was finished. I know many of you feel the same way. We all watched as Jeane, Anna, Bill and Craig worked day after day fixing up that beautiful old adobe house. Well, on Labor Day, I finally got to go and I couldn’t wait to tell you about it.

I’m fortunate since I live and work in Albuquerque, NM which is just a short hour and 45 minute drive from Truchas. It was an easy day trip to make and the drive is stunningly beautiful. In case you ever get the chance to make the trip to visit Jeane, the High Road to Taos starts a little north of Santa Fe and it is clearly marked with road-side signs. The road winds through small villages in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains with art galleries and scenic views which attract visitors from all over the world each year.

There is an amazing contrast between the beauty of the mountains, the bleakness of the dry desert and the rich full art found hidden around every corner in each town on the High Road. You will notice that nearly everyone smiles and waves as you make your way through the towns. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming.

Once in Truchas, I headed straight to Jeane’s house so that we could work on the website. As many photos as I’d seen of the life Jeane lives, nothing prepared me for her road! I shot some video of it to share with you.

We talked for over four hours, coming up with ideas for the blog, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what we have in store for this site, so stay tuned. (JEANE HERE: Let me just interject how totally and completely fried my brain was after working all those hours with Mr. Techno-Geek — I mean that in a GOOD way, of course).

When we had finished talking business it was time for a tour of Truchas. We headed straight to Jeane’s gallery (The Anna Karin Gallery) to record a virtual tour which will be posted soon. I was finally able to experience the gallery and artwork in person after seeing all the photos on the blog over the past year. The photos just do not tell the whole story. Nothing beats seeing it in person for the first time. I met Craig who was sitting the gallery that day, but Anna was in Sweden, so I’ll have to reconnect with her on the next visit.

While recording the virtual tour of the gallery, Jeane rang a few of Bill Loyd’s famous bells. The sound was mesmerizing. It resonated throughout the room and it’s difficult to describe. You’ll get to hear them for yourselves in the virtual tour video, but you just have to be in their presence to get the full effect. I’ve never experienced a sound as full and rich as that made by these colorful bells.

After we left the Anna Karin Gallery, Jeane took me to meet Bill Loyd and I got the opportunity to see more of his art and to experience the sound of both larger and smaller bells than were in the gallery. I had my camera with me but I was so interested in just seeing and hearing all of his creations that I completely forgot to take any photos. (Note from Jeane: ME TOO! I was so wrapped up in being with Adam that I kept forgetting to take photos for the blog! Fortunately I did capture one of Adam and Bill talking)

So lesson learned… If you make the trip out, don’t forget to take lots of photos. I’ll be sure to take plenty the next time I visit, but you can see more of Bill’s work in these blog posts that Jeane published previously: The Farmer’s Mantra and Bill Loyd’s Sign for Tooley’s Trees, as well as at his website, Gong With The Wind.

After leaving Bill Loyd’s place we headed to Hand Artes Gallery which is owned by Bill and Margaret Franke (See previous posts Disparate Pieces and Spring at Hand Artes Gallery). Jeane is represented by the gallery and her Micaceous series is currently on display there. (see Birth of the New: The Micaceous Series). It was a real treat to meet Bill Franke in person. I also got to see Jeane’s painting which is used in the logo of the High Road Artist Facebook fan page while visiting the gallery. Here is a full picture of that painting which is titled “Life’s Yearning”…

The next stop was to meet Barbara McCauley and Alvaro Cardona-Hine. Barbara greeted us with the same bright, welcoming smile that you have seen in many photos on this blog (see A Journey of the Soul, Barbara McCauley’s Opening at the Gallery on the Green, Taos, NM, and Puppy Rescue). She is as nice as she appears in the photos. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet her in person. I didn’t get to meet Alvaro on this trip, but I hope to on the next visit up. Barbara and Jeane suggested that we have a big dinner the next time I visit and I plan to take them up on that.

We completed my Truchas tour with a short walk on the land grant to show me the mica rock that Jeane passes by everyday. She gave me quite a few stones to bring home and the brightest of them is sitting next to me as I type this.

I was in no hurry to leave Truchas, NM. Usually I would push the boundaries of the speed limit but the quiet calm of this community had taken hold. New Mexico is known as the land of enchantment and this place is one of many that illustrates why the title is so fitting. As I slowly made my way down the mountain, taking the time to soak up every sight, I vowed to visit again soon.

(Jeane here: The only reason I could let him go was knowing that he and his wife, Deanne, will be up again soon. In more than a year of working together, this is only the second time Adam and I have been face-to-face. Amazing what technology offers. But “in person” still gives us something computers simply can’t).

Until next time,
Adam

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