| "Fourth of July"
by Peter Hurd
| | "Wherever there are men and horses and cattle in this land of ours the breathless drama of the rodeo is part of the American Scene. In it's way, Maxwell House, too, is part of the American Scene..."
In this 1946 advertisement for Maxwell House Coffee, entitled "Fourth of July," Peter Hurd began to expose the country to his little corner of the world. The illustration shows a rodeo taking place on the piece of land that he and his friends used for their rowdy games of cow pasture polo. In the background, is Sentinel Hill, namesake of Peter's ranch in San Patricio. If you look closely, you'll see that Peter injected his sense of humor into the illustration with his rendering of a tipsy spectator, bottle in hand. That guy is going to need some Maxwell House Coffee in the morning... | |
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| Gallery Greeter Shows Her True Colors |  | |
Munchkin the Gallery Greeter got into the spirit of America during the 4th of July, proudly meeting gallery visitors in her red-white-and-blue sequin collar.
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Michael Hurd Featured at New Mexico Bar Association Conference
Inn of the Mountain Gods | | |
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| Rio Grande Sandbar
by Michael Hurd |  | |
Correction:
In the June Newsletter, the price listed for "Rio Grande Sandbar" was incorrect. The painting measures 10" x 16" and is valued at $4,500.
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| Poached Eggs Rancherita |  |
Green Chile Sauce:
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. bacon drippings or oil
4 Tbsp.flour or cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup chopped green chile
2 stewed tomatoes, peeled & diced
2 potatoes, peeled, boiled & diced
1 tsp. onion salt or 1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 tsp. garlic salt or 1 small clove minced garlic
Brown ground beef in large skillet, drain excess fat; set beef aside.
Heat bacon drippings or oil in same skillet. Add flour or cornstarch and stir until lightly browned.
Add water and stir to form gravy.
Add beef, chile, tomatoes, potatoes, onion and garlic.
Simmer until gravy thickens; if gravy becomes too thick, add 1/4-1/2 cup water.
Keep sauce warm while preparing poached eggs.
Poached Eggs Rancherita
2 Tbsp. oil or margarine
8 eggs
Heat oil or margarine in large skillet. Add eggs one at a time.
Four eggs may be cooked in skillet at once.
Add 1/4 cup water immediately; cover skillet; cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until yolks are firm; cook remaining eggs the same way. Place eggs on individual serving plates and pour 1/4 cup sauce over each serving.
Serve immediately with hot, flour tortillas. (Makes 4-6 servings.) |
| Online Newsletter Archive |  | |
If you're new to our online newsletter family, you've missed a few! Click on the photo above to link to our Newsletter Archive page.
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| River Cottonwood by Michael Hurd | |
Price: $8,000
Size: 13 3/4 x 19 1/2
Medium: watercolor
Signed: Bottom Left |
| Study of Storm Over Ranch House by Peter Hurd | |
Price: $2,500 Size: 3 1/4 x 7 3/4
Medium: Pen and Wash
Signed: Bottom Right |
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At this time of year, the road leading to Peter and Henriette's house comes alive with color. In the cool stillness of a valley evening, a cluster of secretive little flowers known as "Four O'clocks" finally reveal themselves. And this is when we all think of Annie.
Annie passed away a few years ago, but her memory is alive and well each year when the tawny colors of winter finally surrender to the brilliance of spring and summer on Sentinel Ranch. Annie Pena was "old valley," the dawn to dusk, deeply tanned, people with wrinkles around the eyes from a lifetime of squinting in the New Mexico sun. These people are the descendents of the original Mexican homesteaders who came to the valley in the 1800's. You still see them, in their 70's and 80's, tending their animals, pruning their fruit trees, usually working just as hard as they did in their youth.
Annie's husband, Sebio, was the ranch foreman and so he and Annie lived in the house just west of the Hurds' home. While Sebio tended to the needs of the ranch, Annie performed the duties of a dedicated wife, but her real gift was gardening. Annie had a green thumb up to her shoulder and could grow flowers on a rock.
One morning, while Michael was working on his painting entitled "Annie's Garden," his mother stopped by to view the painting and offer advice. Annie was in her yard, making long trips from the acequia to her garden with a bucket of water. Annie was in her usual headwear, 2 ballcaps stacked on top of each other, with the bills pointed in opposite directions to protect her from the sun on both sides. She stopped her gardening long enough to take a break and visit with Michael and Henriette.
"You know Annie," remarked Henriette, "you have every color of the rainbow in your garden but white."
The next day, when Michael set up his palette to continue work on his painting, he couldn't help but notice that there were suddenly white flowers in Annie's garden. Thinking that he was either seeing things or witnessing a miracle, he left his easle to take a closer look. In her garden of colorful flowers, Annie had carefully added a selection of white, artificial flowers. And now her garden was complete.
Annie didn't paint, but like many who have been inspired by this family of artists, she found a way to express her own artistic sensibility. And the beauty of her masterpiece still returns every year to bring joy to everyone who visits this magical place. |
| Summer Monsoons are Here! | |
Don't like the weather...wait five minutes. This well-known saying is especially true here in the Hondo Valley where summer storms seem to sneak up behind those hills and surprise you before you've even had time to look for your umbrella. They make great inspiration for artists, if the artist is fast enough to capture them! The above photos were taken in a period of only 30-45 minutes on July 3rd, 2010. |
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Content and images on this site are the property of Michael Hurd, Tiffanie Owen and the Hurd~La Rinconada Gallery/Sentinel Ranch. Reproduction of the content on this site is prohibited without the express written consent of the owner. All rights reserved. |
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