Pecos Reflections

BERNARD MARKS WROTE ABOUT HIS STRONGLY VERTICAL “PECOS REFLECTIONS” WATERCOLOR:

The Pecos River in New Mexico is federally designated Wild and Scenic River. At certain times and at some places along its 926 miles, the river lives up to this description.

I’ve painted this very special place countless times over the years. It’s close to our home in Santa Fe, so I can get there quickly and easily, and it’s very popular with fishermen, which I love to capture “in action.”

This particular spot by the river’s edge offered a view of the river at relative calm, with only a few ripples to provide interest. I made this watercolor painting on location, making it a plein air piece. It’s one of my personal favorites of that genre.

MARTHA MARKS ADDS:

Six weeks before Bernie’s death, on a glorious mid-October day in 2020, we enjoyed an al fresco lunch together in the historic little town of Pecos, New Mexico. From there, we drove up the canyon where he’d made so many of his favorite “fishermen” paintings. He seemed especially eager to show me the area, because in the past he’d either gone alone or with his painting partner and/or group. I’m eternally grateful that we did that. It left me with a lovely memory of that day… which turned out to be his last visit there and our last outing anywhere together.

Bernie’s other Pecos River paintings that appear on this site are: “The River and the Rock,” acrylic (At 5′ wide, it’s his largest painting ever.) “Rolling Water on the Pecos,” Fishing the Pecos,” “Fishing at Pecos Camp,” and “Fishing at Windy Bridge.


Excellent custom-made giclée prints on thick matte archival paper are available.

  • Size: 13.5″ x 9″
  • Price: $125, includes all applicable taxes
  • $25 will be added for packing and shipping within the USA.
  • Contact Martha Marks first if you’d like to add a standard-size (19″ x 13″ or 20″ x 16″), custom-cut, off-white mat to finish off your print and make it easy to frame.
  • Click here to order this print.

Return to the New Mexico page of the Watercolor Landscapes section.


This painting and all reproductions of it are © Bernard Marks Fine Art LLC. No unauthorized use is permitted. All rights reserved.