Cochiti Red

Dimensions: 20" x 16"
Media: Oil
Notes: Painting is in a Private Collection

This picture was inspired by beautiful red sandstone near Cochiti, New Mexico. The New Mexico landscape has rich gorgeous colors in areas and this is a great example. The area around Cochiti is fairly dry but beautiful and certainly worth visiting for its unique natural beauty. Cochiti is a historic pueblo of the Cochiti people located between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The pueblo is made up of 54 thousand acres and has a registered population of just over 500 people.

One of the most beautiful areas near Cochiti is the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument which has beautiful trails winding through scenic canyons before ascending to the top of a large mesa with incredible views of the surrounding landscape. The full hike can be fairly demanding (especially on warm summer days) but it is an incredibly beautiful experience. Cochiti Lake is also nearby and is a beautiful place to swim (they even have a swim beach), launch boats (keep in mind it is a no-wake lake which limits boating activity), fish, or camp.