Arlene Siegel has mastered the art of creating human expressions in sculpture. One understands immediately the feelings and personality of her powerful pieces. With these pleasingly proportioned bronzes, you experience a myriad of feelings – joy, strength of character, tenderness, motherly love and more as you share in the outpouring of Arlene’s view of the beauty of humanity.

She has studied in the United States with Bruno Lucchesi and in England at the University of London with Alan Thornhill. She also studied at the Croyden Polytechnic in Surrey with master sculptor Don Smith. Further studies were conducted at the University of Illinois,Roosevelt University and the Bletchingly Centre in England.

Arlene’s work has been acquired internationally for collections in  Japan,Norway,Germany,France,Holland,Sweden,Finland,Canada,New Zealand and Australia. The Bradford Exchange in Chicago commissioned Arlene to create porcelain figures for several of its famous Doll Collections.

Arlene’s notable commissions include a sculpture for the Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, part of its Annual Concern for Children’s Award. She has created pieces for Leasway Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois and the Abbey Press in St. Meinrad,Indiana. Most recently she received a great honor from the Society of Biological Psychiatry to create an award piece as a special gift to an outstanding individual. They gift one of her bronzes each year to a person who has worked closely in helping to combat mental illness. Arlene’s sculptures have been awarded to many, including Mike Wallace, Roselyn Carter and Tipper Gore.

For over 40 years Arlene has been teaching sculpting and conducting workshops to adults across the country. Her instructional videos Arlene Siegel’s Sculpture Classroom, Parts I and II, have been part of classroom curriculum and a library standard. Having owned the well respected and successful Arlene Siegel Gallery inSanta Fe,NM for 20 years, she

understands both the needs of the artist and the collectors

After a decade of living in El Prado near the base of Taos Mountain, Audrey has found her creative energy pushing her in a new direction. Having studied oil painting at the DeCordova Museum in Massachusetts in her youth, she now finds herself creating pastels of the churches, landscapes, and old adobe buildings for which Northern New Mexico is so well known. An invitation to participate in the 1999 exhibition of pastel artists at the Millicent Rogers Museum was her first important recognition. This was followed by a four-person pastel show at The Variant Gallery in 2001 and a one-person show in 2004. She also has received Best of Show at the Spanish Peaks Art Council Exhibition in 2002, and was awarded Honorable Meniton at the Taos Open Show in 2003.

A recent trip to Vienna, Prague, and other major cities of Europe where she experienced Cathedrals, Palaces, and the glories of the Renaissance was very stimulating artistically and the fulfillment of a long-time dream. This is her 2^nd year in the Taos Invites Taos Show.

Bobbie Markeson is a native Nebraskan, and in her youth was influenced by wide prairie vistas. She was born in the city of Omaha, but spent many weekends at a friend’s farm. Here she reveled in the peaceful landscape of gently rolling hills and wide open spaces, as well as the patterns of fields and furrows. She was enthralled by the shapes and colors of the landscape as only a young artist can be.

In 1960 she moved to the Southwest and began a serious career in painting. The colors of the Southwest were in stark contrast to her earlier influences from the Midwest. The intense light and changing skies were thrilling and she spent endless hours watching the storms come and go. Her emotional response to the new environment transferred a new intensity to her paintings.

Ms. Markeson sees the landscape in abstract form. She often breaks the rules of color, perspective and shape because it better suits her intent as an artist. Even her figurative paintings are focused on shapes rather than details, on color fields rather than a duplication of reality. She approaches her canvases with the heart of an expressionist.

 She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Nebraska. While in Texas she studied with Jan Herring, William Kolliker and Ruth Tears, respected artists who assisted Bobbie with honing her very individualistic style. She now shares her time between her homes inNew MexicoandTexas.

Ms. Markeson has now become an instructor of art in her own right. She teaches both individual and group workshops to aspiring new artists.

In addition to Act I Gallery, she exhibits in the following galleries:

 Casa Adobe Gallery,El Paso,Texas

 Scharf Gallery,Santa Fe,New Mexico

 PaigeGallery,Dallas,Texas

Wallace-Wentworth Gallery,Washington, DC

 Katie Gingrass Gallery,Santa Fe,New Mexico

 Dos Pajaros Gallery,El Paso,Texas

 Americana West Gallery,Washington, D

Cletus Smith graduated with a Major in Art from Oklahoma City University and the ensuing years have deepened his love and understanding of fine art. His career spans graphic design, illustration, industrial design and instructor of fine art. “Landscapes are my passion! The endless bounty of shapes, textures, light and scenes provide the inspiration. Being in the outdoors, feeling the atmosphere and painting from my emotions of the moment give me a sense of freedom to explore on the canvas.” Awarded and honored throughout the Southwest, Cletus is a mentor and inspiration to aspiring artists.

Cletus paints in both watercolor and oil as each medium informs and influences the other. His oils have the delicacy and layering of a watercolor painting and his watercolors have the strength and depth of color of an oil painting. Though the underlying techniques of approaching these two mediums is directly opposite, the end result of his creations is always masterly and compelling.  He moves effortlessly between them, the oils flowing with the sense of freedom and the watercolors saturated and painterly.

His work is clearly representational and inspired by the scenes of the real world. From there, he brings to his art a sense of freedom and mystery that take it beyond the basics of fine art. His touch is evident in the layers in which one can see more than at first meets the eye. Within the strata of oil, one can sometimes see a distant view and other times, one can catch a glimpse of a furtive bird or flowering branch. With room for further and further interpretation, his artwork continues to intrigue, never quite solving the mystery and thus keeping the painting alive.

Whether wandering with the meandering stream in winter, sneaking a peak at an adobe nestled in a tree-filled valley or catching the view of brilliant sunlight splashed on an adobe, they all have Cletus’ signature style saturated with the wisdom of a balanced composition, a focal point that always brings one back and the supporting colors and design that make a painting a classic work of art.

When Cletus is not painting, he is involved in all the aspects of the world of art. He conducts workshops, lectures and is a sought-after juror for art exhibitions throughout the Southwest. With his deep understanding of art from creating it himself and teaching it to others, you will delight in Cletus'  well-developed eye and confident hand.

As a child I used to think that every scene I saw was a potential painting. There is an element of truth in that, but I now know that no individual artist has either the talent or the inspiration to painting everything he or she may see.

I found that I needed to train my eye to look for those landscapes that creatively impact me and then find within that scene the message I want to communicate. The initial creative spark is often something as simple as isolated spots of intense color or a striking vignette of contrasts that help establish the strength and warmth I want in the painting.

It’s one thing to see what you want; it’s quite another to figure out how to get there from here. Over the past few years I have made an interesting discovery. I found that by switching back and forth from oil to pastel, I have learned to ‘see’ many things differently. This has opened up some exciting new horizons for me in each medium.

Professionally, I began to see the need to discard self-imposed boundaries and to challenge myself to become not just a more accomplished artist, but a far more versatile one. When we begin as artists we are often advised to choose a particular medium and style and stay the course as it would ultimately become our trademark. While that’s good advice, there is a point at which experimentation and pushing one’s boundaries may be just as important.

I constantly strive to press beyond method and into a flow of creative instinct. At times I return the pastels to my pallet haphazardly or choose not to make color notes about my oils. This forces me to focus only on what strokes and hues are needed to effectively express a sycamore, the sky, water or any other image, without relying on past formulas. I find the nuances and variations give a piece of artwork its uniqueness. The artwork is simply created anew with important differences and a freshness of interpretation.

An important aspect of my creativity is the challenge I give to myself, letting myself “get there from here” by blazing a new trail, going beyond any limits I may have imposed upon myself. 

Doug Candelaria is an artist who has been fascinated by cowboys, Indians and mountain men since he was a child. Born and raised in Durango,Colorado, he was surrounded by an Old West atmosphere and can remember cattle being driven down the streets of his Durango neighborhood.

Doug’s ongoing education has included art classes at Cottonwood Art Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado and workshops led by such luminaries as Kim Mackey, Teresa Vito and George Strickland, Kim English, Jean LeGassick and John David Phillips and Tim Deibler.

His paintings depict the life and traditions of the Plains and Desert Indians of the past, as well as the modern cowboy of the West. His ideas are born at powwows, local rodeos and artists’ gatherings at working cattle ranches. He also paints landscapes depicting the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, the Southwestern deserts and the high deserts of Southern Colorado.

He has shown his work primarily in the Denver area for the past 20 years, and most recently, in Colorado Springs and Pueblo,Colorado and Taos, New Mexico. He has painted interpretative panels for scenic overlooks managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

In 2011, Doug will be presenting a solo exhibition at the Act I Gallery where he is represented in Taos, New Mexico. His show “The West * Today and Yesterday” is a documentation of the working cowboys of today and the Navajos of the past.

Education
1975: B. S. in Nursing from University of California, San Francisco
1979 - 1985: Drawing classes at RogueCommunity College, Grants Pass, Oregon. Watercolor and drawing from Phil Austin, Kathy Wengi-O'Connor, Chris Schink and Ruth Eckstein
1974-1995: Professional River Guide on the Stanislaus, American, Tuolumne, Merced, Rogue, Deschutes and UmpquaRivers, as well as the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River
1994, 1995: Studied oil painting with Rob Gratiot and Mark Daily, Art Students League of Denver

Solo Exhibitions
2007 “ Spirit of the Rogue”, Wiseman Gallery, RCC, Grants Pass Oregon
2005 "Pick-a-Painting for Boulder", One woman show at Boulder Municipal Building and Boulder Creek Festival, Boulder Colorado
2004 " The River and the Town", One woman show at the Dairy Center for the Arts, Boulder Colorado
2002 “Boulder County and Beyond”, One woman show at Dearborn Rieder Fine Art Gallery, Boulder
1999 " A Sense of Place", One woman show at David Haslam, the Boulder Art Gallery, Boulder Colorado

Group Exhibitions
2012 “ Cowgirls Up!”, DesertCaballerosWesternMuseum, Wickenburg Arizona
2011 “ Contemporary Southwest Realism”, Arroyo Gallery, Santa Fe New Mexico
2011 “ Mary Williams Third Annual Quick Draw”, Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder Colorado
2011“ Grand Canyon 2 nd Annual Celebration of Art”. Kolb Studios, Grand Canyon Arizona
2011 Boulder County Open Space Plein Air Exhibit
2011 The Eccentric Artists’ Gardens Exhibit, Boulder Public Library, Boulder Colorado
2010 “Path of Beauty, 3 visions of the Grand Canyon”, with Chris Brown, Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder
2010 “ Grand Canyon 2 nd Annual Celebration of Art”. Kolb Studios, Grand Canyon Arizona
2009 “ Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, Modern Masters & Paint Out”, Kolb Studios, Grand Canyon AZ
2009 “ Mary Williams First Annual Quick Draw”, Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder Colorado
2009 “ The Ditch Project, Boulder’s Constructed Landscape”, Boulder Public Library & the Dairy, Boulder
2008 “ Of the Earth”, New works by Elizabeth Black, Jorgensen & Heyer. Mary Wms Fine Arts, Boulder
2007 “ Miniatures & More”, Mary Williams Fine Arts, Boulder Colorado
2007 NCAA 16 th National Art Exhibition, Fort Collins, Colorado
2007 “I (Heart) Boulder ”. University Memorial Center Art Gallery , University of Colorado , Boulder
2006 Best of Colorado Exhibition , Denver International Airport
2006 The Eccentric Artists’ Gardens Exhibit, Boulder Public Library, Boulder Colorado
2005 Summer Group Show, William Havu Gallery, Denver Colorado
2005 Colorado Art Open , Foothills Art Center , Golden Colorado
2004, 2005 Colorado State Fair , Pu eb lo Colorado
2004 Art for Designers, 825 Art and Framing, Denver Colorado

Awards and Grants
2011 Contemporary Southwest Realism, First Place winner, Arroyo Gallery
2011 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, Best-of-Show juror's choice
2011 Boulder County Open Space Plein Air Exhibit Honorable Mention
2011 Boulder Arts Commission Major Project Grant; Eccentric Artists Gardens
2010 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, Kaibab Award (Second Place)
2010 Pacesetter Award for Arts and Education, Boulder Daily Camera
2010 NeoData Grant; Eccentric Artists Gardens
2010 Boulder Arts Commission Mini-Grant; Eccentric Artists Gardens sculpture pedestal marker
2009 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, Modern Masters Third Place Award
2008 Boulder Arts Commission Major Project Grant; the Ditch Project
2008 Boulder County Arts Alliance SCFD Discretionary Funds Grant; the Ditch Project
2008 NeoData Grant; the Ditch Project
2008 Colorado Council on the Arts Audience Participation Grant, the Ditch Project
2007 Addison Mini-Grant, BCAA, a Sesquicentennial rephotographic survey of Boulder’s Irrigation Ditches
2006 Boulder Arts Commission Grant; the Eccentric Artists’ Gardens Exhibit and Tour
2006 NeoData Grant for the 2006 Eccentric Artists' Garden Tour and Exhibit
2005 Boulder Arts Commission Grant, for "Pick-a-Painting for Boulder"
2005 Addison Mini-Grant for "Pick-a-Painting for Boulder"
2005 Milash Award, Boulder County Arts Alliance Cash Award
2004 Colorado State Fair, Honorable Mention, “Last Hollyhocks”
2001 Colorado Art Open, Foothills Art Center Cash Award, Third Place
1992 Loveland Biennial, Loveland Museum Gallery Cash Award
1990 MacLaren Markowitz Gallery, cash award, VisualEYES
1988 VisualEYES Show, Mayor's Merit Award
1985 Watercolor Society of Oregon, Cash Award
1984 AAUW Southern Oregon Art Show, First Place
1981 Josephine County Fair, First and third place

Collections
US Embassy in South Africa, Art in Embassies Program, US State Department
Rocky Mountain National Park, permanent collection
Grants Pass Museum of Art , permanent collection
Rubtsovsk Russia Sister City Arts Collection
The Community Foundation , Boulder Colorado
Hydroshere , Boulder, Colorado
Squire Inn, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Published
2012 “Cowgirls Up! Meet 6 participating artists.”, Southwest Art Magazine
2012 “Gallery Tour: Elizabeth Black”, Cowboys and Indians Magazine
2011 “ Elizabeth Black, the Artist’s Life”, Plein Air Magazine
2010 ”Artist to Watch, Elizabeth Black”, Southwest Art Magazine.
2010 “Gustav discovers Arapahoe Galcier”, Boulder MahlerFest program cover and sales
2009 “150 Years of Ditches: Boulder’s Constructed Landscape”, Colorado Federation for Water Education
2009 “Digging Up the Past: The Ditch Project Art Exhibit”, Boulder Daily Camera
2009 “Our Riches of Ditches”, Boulder Daily Camera
2009 “The Ditch Riders of Boulder”, Boulder Magazine
2009 “A Ditch runs through it”, Boulder Daily Camera
2007 “Glimpses of Home” by Greg Glasgow, Boulder Daily Camera
2006 “Eccentric Outdoors” by Aimee Heckel, Boulder Daily Camera
2006 “Whimsical, eccentric, nutty – you decide”, by Carol O’Meara, Boulder Daily Camera
2006 “The Eccentric Artists Gardens Exhibit and Tour” Boulder Public Library Information Guide
2005 “Pick a Painting for Boulder” by Elizabeth Marglin, Visual Arts Critic, Boulder Daily Camera
2005 “Elizabeth Black Presented with Milash Award”Arts Beat, BCAA Newletter.  

G. L. Miller’s interest lies in creating jewelry influenced by ethnic American Indian design, western geometric patterns, traditional designs of centuries-old European jewelry and into the 21^st century’s modern art. He incorporates his respect for the early work of innovative jewelers and infuses it with a more contemporary sensibility and the finest of details. He is a craftsman of the highest standards and an inspired artist.

There are the echoes of the past in his Shooting Star series, a feeling of timelessness inherent in the black night skies filled with brilliant stars over the thousand-year-old Taos Pueblo. He paints a scene as believable as any artist with a palette composed of the earth’s ores, the very planet itself.

G. L.’s Bauhaus collection builds on the classic combination of architecture, sculpture and painting in a single form. Inspiration and color are fused into the clean, industrial lines of this collection. Angular design and sparkling jewels are perfect examples of the necessity of tension in fine art. The final composition in the Bauhaus Collection is in the wearing of the pieces themselves, the soft warmth of the skin in contrast to the straight, lean planes of the jewelry itself.

His gold collection is mostly comprised of an early European influence. These pieces can be more traditional, but break out from any standards as he combines the finest gemstones with newly minted semi-precious stones in extraordinary color combinations. For example, the rich opaque green ofCaricoLaketurquoise is juxtaposed against the finest quality light-filled diamonds in 14k gold, setting his jewelry apart from the expected. His fascination with color in stones brings his jewelry to the forefront of new mining finds from all over the world.

G. L. was born inTucson,Arizona, the second of eight children. Living throughout theUnited Statesafforded him the opportunity to explore and assimilate a wide variety of cultural ideas into his designs.

He refined his fascination for design at theUniversityofNew Mexicowhere he majored in both Fine Arts and Commercial Art. Before venturing out on his own, he was an advertising agency art director, a commercial photographer, a creative director and a design manufacturer of Surrisi timepieces. These careers were building blocks to his professionalism and the development of his own designs. He now presents his jewelry at exhibitions fromAlaskatoSan FranciscotoNew York.

G. L. Miller’s contemporary, classic pieces set the standard for jewelry collections in the present and for future generations to come. 

Artist Statement:

Landscape is often seen as static, timeless, impersonal. Landscape is not just a series of measured colors and composition but a reflection of those who live on the river, at the foot of the mountain, or who remain in a particular place and make it their home. Perhaps the landscape is only a distillation of remembrance, a perception of belonging perfectly to a specific time in a specific place. The longing to remember and to experience one place again and again is a sought-for perfection, if only realized in one’s imaginings. Dreaming the landscape or painting the landscape is shared, both with those who love the place and with those who want to remember it always.

I share a deep bond with Mother Nature and have been interpreting her landscapes and culture through sculpture for forty years. There exists no separation between the creative process and daily life. For me, they are one. I seek to create introspective pieces, often meant to evoke serenity, reverence, meditation – sculpture that possesses soundness of line, elegance of form.

My work draws its inspiration from nature, with organic lines predominating. I strive to convey a sense of nurturing and compassion for the plight of both the planet and its inhabitants. It reflects my lifestyle – simple, uncluttered, optimistic. It serves as an affirmation of the living. I have learned the essence of the here and now and the effortless joys of daily life. At times my pieces are primal, stoic, visceral.

My work appears in such public collections as the Albuquerque Botanic Gardens, Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, the National Park Service (Salinas National Monument), University of New Mexico, New Mexico State Printing Facility, Edwards Air Force Base, and the College of Santa Fe. I have been published in numerous national and international publications.

Having lived In Taos for over 20 years, I have been captivated by the cultures here and found strong character and dignity in the Pueblo peoples. The spirit of their existence transcends my thoughts as my hands manifest my own clay interpretations. I have designed blanketed Indian figures as ceremonial clowns with rattles, maidens carrying their ollas, lovers embraced, warriors sheathed for battle, gratitude figures with arms raised to the heavens and blessing dolls with hands closed in prayer.  With their faces into the wind and up to the sun, they reveal the wisdom and endurance of a thousand souls that came before. 

I was in my mid-twenties when I followed the pages of Outside magazine and headed West from Florida.  The journey landed in Flagstaff, Arizona where I worked and played on river trips and found a job in a production pottery studio.  Both experiences shaped my life as I began to develop my skills for a life of working in clay along with discovering the magnificent landscape of the Western rivers that were hidden with Indian ruins, petroglyphs and pot chards. 

After a decade in Flagstaff, I moved to Taos and was quickly inspired by the multitude of art the area had to offer, especially the paintings and philosophies of Georgia O’Keeffe.  Following a number of years working for lawyers, the opportunity to build a home and studio was realized and life as a clay artist began again.  Over the years, I have thrown functional pieces alongside hand-built decorative vases, maintained gallery accounts and participated in arts and crafts fairs.  I continue to spend many productive, challenging and satisfying days applying my journey of experiences to the art and business of clay.  

Artist’s Statement on Landscapes

The act of painting is a constant process of exploration and discovery for me. While painting with colors, texture, shapes and line, I am in pursuit of a visual language that expresses my experience. Memory and emotion play a large role in influencing the painting’s outcome. My aim in representing the landscape is not based on strict adherence to reality, but rather an expressive transcription of my experience of the landscape.

In my studio, I will have several paintings in progress at one time. The paintings are built up in layers over many sessions, with each layer affecting and influencing those above, creating an organic texture and a sense of depth and complexity. I have developed a number of techniques for creating surface texture using a range of tools such as brayers, palettes knives, brushes, rags and kitchen tools.

Most of my recent paintings are on board panels that provide a sufficiently rigid support for a rather aggressive use of these tools. Gouging, scraping and the use of solvents are all important to my process.

I am interested in the effects of color, whether bold or subtle, and often the genesis for a painting is a selection of color around which the painting will center. My process is an intuitive one in which meaning emerges over time. Although I may begin with an idea of what I want to convey, I don’t let it constrain me, and eventually it is surpassed by deeper, subconscious responses that are activated by the process of creating.

Artist’s Statement on Abstractions

With my abstracts, I am interested in paintings that evoke both an atmosphere of energy and contemplation, inviting the viewer to engage in the visual field with a sense of meandering exploration and open interpretation. My ideas are primarily influenced by nature and organic forms. Colors, patterns, shapes, music and sensory impressions are sources for visual ideas which become interwoven throughout the evolution of the artwork.

Good abstract art works with themes, ideas and specific intentions in the work. In some cases, these are arrived at intuitively or experimentally. In others, there is considerable planning involved. Perhaps most often, there is a combination, a delicate balance of right- and left-brain thinking, a dance between pure inspiration and impulse and logical analysis and forethought.

Ideas may come from nature, the figure or any aspect of the real world, altered and interpreted in a personal way. They may come from exploring the basic elements of art, such as color, line and shape or emerge during the creative process itself. An abstract artist is the choreographer of integrating and combining ideas and sources.

Each painting is an open-ended exploration, undertaken with a blend of spontaneity and careful analysis. It is my hope that in the end, my art has a certain clarity and integrity that connects with the viewer and evokes contemplation.

Artist’s Background

Jeannie Sellmer completed her formal fine art education at the Art Institute of Boston. After graduating, she continued to live inMassachusetts, but after many trips with her husband to the west and southwest, experiencing the brilliant and saturating light, the desert and grand vistas, they decided to change their environment and lifestyle. They are now New Mexicans.

She has taken workshops with renowned artists Lorenzo Chavez, Bill Galen andCaliforniapainter Marcia Burtt. Jeannie’s own style is unique and recognizable as she continues to explore the world of art in varying media, painting styles and techniques.

Jeri Moore has been painting and drawing since an early age. Over the past two decades she has developed a fine art career, including exhibitions, both solo and group, in Taos, Telluride, Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and Tucson.

“My interest and observations have always centered around people,” Jeri says. “It seems natural that my artwork becomes manifestations of my thoughts and conclusions. Intrigued by our emotional and mental arena, which is juxtaposed to our daily activities, my inspiration is drawn to the space that holds the spiritual and physical in place.

“For me, color is the energy that lives in all of us in order to be productive and healthy. The line and form describe and add the positive element of beauty and poetry. The imagery gives the setting and the setting is my creative home for the life I depict.

“The majority of my present work is executed in mixed media and acrylic. Working in various media allows the strength of the intuitive conversation between my mind and hand.”                         

 Jeri’s art is expressionistic and romantic, colorful and rich with movement, and lyrical. Growing up as an only child, she spent a lot of time creating an inner dialogue. This dialogue didn’t often have words and so her feelings and thought were funneled with crayons onto paper and later via oils on canvas. She continues to express her inner dialogues through her art.

She generally works on three to five paintings at once, allowing her to move spontaneously as thoughts and feelings surface. The act of painting lets her emotions flow onto the canvas.

Jeri worked her way through college as an art historian slide projectionist. After viewing thousands of works of art, certain artists continued to speak to her, such as Picasso, Modigliani, Munch, Balthus, and NC Wythe. She was taken by the Mexican muralists and almost any public art from the 1920s to the 1940s. 

Murals are one of her favorite aspects of the art world. Even her smaller works have muralistic aspects in their structure and vision. 

Joyce Hamil has been painting and exhibiting professionally in acrylic, oil and pastel for more than twenty years in New Mexico. Though essentially self-taught, Joyce credits workshops with nationally-acclaimed artists such as Ben Konis, Albert Handell, Daniel Greene and William Hook for bringing focus to her artwork. She also studied art at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

There is a confidence in Joyce’s artwork, a deep understanding of the mediums as she brings a piece to life with values, color, design and sensitively mastered edges. Her acrylics employ broad expanses of color-shapes that characterize a deceptively simple handling of complex forms and figures.

According to The Taos News:

“‘I’m not being as concerned with the literal shape of things,’ Hamil states. Her art is increasingly more interpretive, while still remaining within the boundaries of a recognizable subject. Hamil is working out a new painting strategy in which she is less concerned with painting exactly what she sees, as in the past, and is more curious about imagery and compositions that arise from within her in response to various patterns.

“‘I’m trying to find a composition, versus just painting what is in front of me,’ she said. ‘It’s really pretty simple. I’m just interested in arrangements of shapes and colors.’ The painters who most influence Hamil are those who take risks with balance or have an unconventional viewpoint. ‘Their work is flat, putting down their own interpretations; not telling stories. They’re not doing anything different than I am, but they’re better at it. They’re my teachers you might say.’ She respects the work of Fairfield Porter, Wayne Theibaud, Diebenkorn, Wolf Kahn and many others.

“Hamil adds, ‘My compositions are found rather than predetermined. My objective is to find a composition that contains subtle shifts in balance of color, shape or contrast. The objective reality of a subject is only a departure point. I am interested in whether or not a particular pattern of color shapes forms a balanced composition. My ultimate goal is to achieve a synthesis of vision of execution.’ 

“Ms. Hamil is a master of color. Her lectures on color theory are well attended and in demand. She states, ‘Since so many of the same southwestern subjects have been executed by a great many artists, my challenge is to surprise the viewer by depicting a scene from an unusual vantage point or else imbue the painting with an unexpected color harmony.

“‘I’m strictly interested in paints. I’m just a painter of shapes and color. I don’t need to write four pages about what it means. If it hits you right, if you like it, then it’s meant for you.’”

Joyce Hamil’s art is in the collection of the United Bank of New Mexico in Albuquerque, The Village of Tijeras, the Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos, the New Mexico State Fair and in private collections nationwide and abroad. Her list of collectors includes many renowned artists who understand Joyce’s bold and unique vision.

“I am enamored with nature – insects, rocks, trees. Also, my parents encouraged their sons to respect and honor the environment.  As I have begun painting and drawing again, I find the importance of recording the beauty of our natural surroundings to be a tremendous motivating factor for me.

In essence, I am an artistic archivist. I feel as though my paintings might serve as a record, of sorts, of the incredible visual bounty that we humans were given and that we are at risk of losing. My artistic gift allows me to be immersed in the environment and make some extremely small amends by simply telling part of its story.”

                                 Kent Hicks                    

Kent Hicks hails from Lubbock, Texas and is a graduate of Texas Tech University where he was awarded a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He entered Texas Tech University on an art scholarship with a portfolio of his drawings.

Mr. Hick’s creative talent isn’t limited to the visual. At the age of sixteen, he was playing cello in the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra.  During his college years, he sang in operettas and in the men’s chorus in San Antonio. In Taos, he has sung solo in the very challenging Taos Community Chorus.

By the age of 23, he was living in New York City working as a designer for major corporations. His designs won awards for companies such as Henry Dreyfuss Associates and Cosmair, Inc., the parent company of L’Oreal and Lancome. Meanwhile, his fine art techniques continued to develop and expand into the Soho art scene. His paintings were exhibited at the Reynold C. Kerr Gallery in the heart of the art district. Much of his work during this period was abstract, the perfect means of balancing the demands of the advertising world with his need for personal expression.

Mr. Hicks returned to Taos where he continued with both commercial art and fine art. Back in the southwest, he won New Mexico Design Advertising Awards. He was also directing commercials and won more awards for Art Direction in the commercial industry.  During these next 13 years, he exhibited his artworks in Taos. He then took a hiatus from art.

He has now renewed his art career with long-missed vigor. The landscape, in all its grandeur and power, calls to him as never before. His diverse background and experiences bring new depth to his art and a unique voice to his paintings. 

“From a background of rigorous training at the Accademia di belli Arti in Florence, my work has evolved, combining a contemporary perspective with a classical aesthetic.”  In some pieces, whimsical elements are used as counterpoint to the formal execution. Her work has a high degree of finish and maturity and is represented in collections across the United States and Europe.  She says, “It is my intention to capture a mood of stillness and peace that creates an island of calm in our increasingly complex and chaotic world.”  Her time is divided between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico.

From early childhood, the Georgia native was certain of her direction. She began art lessons at age eight and two years later she had the good fortune to begin a relationship with the noted New York artist Lucille Blanche, who spent winters in the southern town. Young Heartwell loved going to Blanche’s studio. “It smelled of linseed oil and turpentine and everything was wonderfully messy,” Heartwell said, and “the buttery feel of the paint was so sensuous and the atmosphere was exciting and slightly outrageous. I never wanted to go home.”

Heartwell moved on to advanced studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia, the Art Students League in New York and the Boston Museum School. Abroad, she attended the Universidad de Las Americas in Mexico City and the Accademia delle belle Arti in Florence, Italy. “Painting studies at the Accademia were quite rigorous. Traditional techniques were taught. We mixed our paints using ground pigment and twenty drawings were required before beginning each painting. We attended weekly dissections of cadavers at the medical school as part of anatomy class.” Heartwell later married an Italian sculptor and remained in Florence for eight years.

When she returned to the United States, Heartwell settled in the Blue Ridge foothills of Virginia where her children grew up. For twenty years the artist painted classical portraits. This was a full and rewarding period. In addition to portrait painting, her life was involved with caring for children, gardens and animals.

“After my children were grown, it was time to turn my attention to the inward journey,” she said. “In the east, my life was abundant with as many attachments as the landscape was lush with growing things. It was difficult to focus on my own process,” Heartwell said. So seven years ago she moved to Taos, where she knew no one. “Here in the high desert, the vast, stark landscape and my severely simplified lifestyle have freed me to the sort of painting I love,” the artist said.

Her day begin at 5 a.m. with meditation. In good weather, she walks up a Taos canyon trail to a favorite rock outcropping. “On a clear day, you can see a hundred miles and the feeling of peace is profound,” she said. She often uses the landscape as background for her figures. “However, I am more interested in the vernacular, the nobility inherent in the ordinary life, than in the grand landscape. I attempt to extract some essential part of what it means to be alive in one particular moment.” She is in the studio by 7 and works until 4:30.

Heartwell’s painting process begins with a red ground, adding pigment to gesso. Next she works out the composition, using gray for the darks and cadmium yellow for the light areas. Then she builds up the colors with layers of glazing for depth. “I vary the paint thickness so that in some areas you see just the red ground and other areas are thick, with strong visible brush strokes, so the viewer is aware of the process. I use color not only to describe but to evoke the forces of health and regeneration.”

She skillfully conveys tenderness without sacrificing dignity. Heartwell’s figures are strong and yet retain their grace. In a Heartwell painting, viewers experience the innocence of life that is profoundly cherished. She says, “I want my paintings to invite the viewer in to experience moments of peace, warmth and wholeness.” 

Mark Horst’s life of diverse experiences, education and passion have served to enrich his art in untold ways. They have brought him to a place of deep expression and fearlessness. His paintings are unwavering, unapologetic and yet imbued with grace and sensitivity; a deep appreciation of the excitement to be found in our daily rounds. His mind sees beyond the five senses to bring forth another layer of light and shape and motion.

The tender touches in his figurative work to the bold angles of adobe speak to his experiences in life. He perceives the world through his personal history and reaches out to his viewers to join him, to celebrate his lifelong findings.

     “Mark Horst carries a quiver full of painterly gifts. His startling work reveals wild pinpricks of the eternal, often in the subtlest of images. Make no mistake, the paintings sometimes hold our feet to the flame – a door between a collectively understood image and some new paint-spirit that comes hurtling through. Not always a comfortable experience.

     That door is also a gateway between the tacit and the explicit. His sheer feel and technique is obvious, but there are other energies at work here, too, some ancient condition of the soul.

     Horst is one of the few painters to hold the paradox of tradition and innovation with him. There is brilliance here.”

            Martin Shaw, author, teacher, artist

EDUCATION

1977   Bachelor of Art,CarletonCollege,Northfield,MN. Major History, Minor Studio Art.

        1985   PHD, Yale University, Major Theology

2005-2006   Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Studies: painting, drawing,        printmaking

2007   Spring PaintingMarathon, Graham Nickson,New YorkStudioSchool

2008   Spring PaintingMarathon, Graham Nickson,New YorkStudioSchool

In Mark’s own words, “If paint were a means of freezing time and protecting us from the dangerous life of the spirit, I would put down my brushes. But, for me, painting is a way of breaking time’s grip and setting loose something wild and strong.”

“I am a storyteller and visionary artist as well as an expressionist landscape painter. I work in many mediums: oil, acrylics, encaustic and book arts.

My goal in landscape painting is to capture some essence of the drama I see unfolding before me, whether it be the wind moving through the trees, the warmth radiating from the red earth or the depth of the cool shadows.

I like the thrill and challenge of working in a new medium and my newest is actually one of the oldest media - encaustic. Encaustic holds many possibilities of extreme translucency and vivid color at the same time. I use oils in landscape painting because of the wonderful range of bright vivid colors but the encaustic medium (beeswax and damar crystals) gives the possibilities of holding color suspended in an even thicker medium while the physics of light does its work passing through the layers and reflecting back to us.”

           
Being a third-generation wood turner, it seems I have spent my entire life surrounded by wood. As a young adult, I learned that the artistry of wood turning comes not from the hand, but from the eye. Being able to “see” the shape of the vessel has been a legacy and a gift to which I bring my own vision and version of style, form and texture. In my quest to create, I blend both tradition and innovation into an art form that honors my legacy and, at the same time, forms a new one.

Each piece I create is a unique experience for me and, hopefully, for the admirer. I endeavor to imbue into each piece a balance of color and form, shape and substance that fully displays the beauty and richness of the tree itself. Each tree has a story to be told. Worm holes speak of a past life; rings communicate growth cycles and certain colors tell the tale of death by lightening or blight. My job is to convey the story in picture book fashion – visually rather than verbally. In this way, I honor and continue the legacy of the tree.  

Between the natural and the artificial, there is a bridge made by fusing the innate beauty of wood with present day techniques and designs that accentuate the splendor that is turned wood. My hope is to build that bridge for you.

NANCY C. HARGIS -  Albuquerque, New Mexico

Nancy (The Artist) was born in Mansfield, Ohio.  At a very early age her creativity began to emerge; in the form of original drawings, sculpture and various other (3D media) art forms.  Nancy became a regular at the awards and ribbon ceremony’s in both her elementary and secondary schools for exemplary artworks.  Through this, she was encouraged to expand her talents.  Nancy entered many local craft fairs and art exhibits where she was further decorated and rewarded for her creative energies.  It was during this period that Nancy began to focus in (with a passion) on the more diverse art form known as ‘mixed media’. 

Her first big hit, in mixed media art, came in the form of ‘basket clocks’.  Remember the late seventies, when having a collage of wicker baskets arranged on a wall was ‘the in thing’.  Well, Nancy’s idea was to invert shallow baskets, install clockworks and hand sculpt/decorate the bottoms to create unique wall clocks.  They sold like ‘hot cakes’ for years.  Of course, as always, Mark was there to provide the engineering (with custom templates and tooling) for assembly, hanging and ease of decoration. 

The couple currently reside in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Nancy has continued her pursuit of mixed media art forms in each of these locations, having her artwork consigned, carried, displayed and sold in a variety of galleries, specialty shops and at select art fairs.  Of late, the Native American Indian (heritage, pueblos and culture) has become a primary focus of Nancy’s mixed media artworks.

Although never ‘classically’ trained, Nancy’s studied various forms of art/sculpture, in a variety of classes and workshops, under the direction of numerous acclaimed artists/teachers.  Yet, Nancy’s unique gift for conceiving, designing and creating original, mixed media artworks simply comes naturally, and her ability to combine various art forms and materials is truly unique.  Of course, Mark’s role is to ‘engineer’ these creative ideas into practicality and reality, so that the final art forms may Come-to-Life.    

MARK D. HARGIS

Mark (i.e., The Engineer) was born in San Diego, California.  His creativity also showed itself at an early age; in his passion for dismantling, understanding and re-assembling toys, often into functional but totally new and different ‘art’ forms.  Mark was a consistent award winner during elementary/secondary school years for science and math achievements.  From this, it was clear Mark was destined to be an ‘engineer’.  However, his love for all sports and a passion for baseball, tennis and golf have endured.

IN SUMMARY

So you see, this long-lasting union of Artist and Engineer was simply ‘meant to be’, enabling their collaborative talents to yield unique mixed media artworks, the result of which defines a ‘Joint Venture’, where Nancy delivers the inspiration, artistic flair and creative force, while Mark is always there to provide the mechanics, the (grunt) labor and all the (necessary) brute force.

Thank you for an expressed interest in these mixed media artworks, from this integrated duo of Artist and Engineer.  It is through their team efforts that these unique art forms are conceived, designed, inspired, created and subsequently Brought-to- Life for your enjoyment.  And remember, art is a personal experience, so it’s important that you experience art…for yourself…   

I was born in Eastern Nigerian 1965. I am the first of three sons. I currently reside in the United States with my wife Deidra, my son Jacob and daughter Nkechi. The rest of my family is still in Nigeria.

As far back as I can remember I have been fascinated by art, especially drawing. It wasn't until I was about 17 years of age that I realized that my artistic sensibilities were best expressed in the three dimensional art of sculpture. While in Nigeria, I earned a Higher National Diploma (equivalent to a Bachelor Degree) in Painting.

Around this same time I was introduced to basketball, which suited me well as I am six fee nine inches tall. Basketball became the avenue for me to come to the United States. I was recruited by BYU,Hawaii where I played from 1989 to 1993. It was during this period that I earned a Bachelor Degree in Fine Art, Sculpture.

Immediately after that, I enrolled in the graduate program at BYU,Provo,Utah where I received a Master of Fine Art degree in Sculpture in 1997. While going to school in Provo, I met and married my wife Deidra who is from Idaho and graduated in 1996 with a Master of Accountancy degree.

Philosophy

The forms in my sculpture are simplified and stylized to better express my thoughts and ideas which are embodied in fluid lines and simple shapes. It is a mode of expression that comes naturally to me and it is straight to the point and devoid of pretension. Stylization also offers a greater avenue for the expression of universal themes and emotions. This allows me to broaden the scope of expression by transcending mere literal representation of the figure, provoking different thoughts and ideas and giving the viewer an opportunity for introspection and contemplation.

One of the few guidelines that I follow is best exemplified in a statement made by Michelangelo which states: “Measurement should be in the eyes and not in the hands, for while the hand measures; it is the eye that judges.” My proportions, therefore, are not based on any rigid principle, but rather are based on a personal ideal of beauty and balance. I want my figures to be more symbolic rather than literal copies of the human form. Thus in sculpture my figures, instead of being confined to a model, become a symbol of humanity.

I also simplify my shapes to avoid distractions of any extraneous detail, which does not add to the beauty of the whole design.  Attitudes, gestures and overall composition are of primary importance to me. Detail, of course, has its place in sculpture, but I find that my ideal of beauty is more easily attained with simple lines and shapes which convey my thoughts and ideas unshackled by detail.

Further, the big, rotund forms symbolized abundant life. It is an outward manifestation of a largeness of soul.

Also prevalent in my sculpture is the theme of womanhood. I am captivated by the noble characteristics which include empathy, love, resilience and strength that are embodied in womanhood. The women that are closest to me, my wife and my mother, have influenced me greatly and are exemplars of these noble attributes.

In my indigenous culture as well as in many cultures, womanhood is venerated. There is an understanding that women share, even in a small way, with the creator the sacred act of giving life. Perhaps this understanding of the dignity of womanhood inspires me to seek to honor women in my sculpture.

I hope all will find in my work a source of inspiration to transcend the turmoil and unevenness of life. I also hope that my sculptures will be capable of eliciting strong emotional responses from the viewer regardless of his or her background or race.

Peggy McGivern’s professional art career spans twenty-five years. The offspring of three generations of accomplished artists, her work is second nature and an ongoing legacy. “My most influential teacher was my mother,” she said. “She taught me more about the figure, the face and perspective than anyone ever could – the stuff you have to know how to do correctly before you can take the liberty of interpreting and distorting.” But Peggy constantly assimilates new and different ideas from workshops and classes throughout the world. She developed her style, which has been described as “painterly expressionism,” while living in England. She has experimented with every medium from pastels to silk painting. She identifies her work with the Bay Area Figurative Group and has studied the styles and theories of Diebenkorn, Parks, Bischoff and Oliveira, incorporating them into her own workshops. She continues to seek out places that provide her with fascinating landscapes, architecture and people to fuel her unique style.

Her long list of private and corporate collectors, detailed below, includes theDenveroffices of Arts and Humanities, theDenverCenterfor Performing Arts, and The Children’sDiabetesCenteratUniversityofDenver.  She is a featured artist in Dakota Mitchell’s book, “Finding Your Visual Voice.” Between 1985 and 1990 she worked with galleries in the Southwest as President of the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition. In 1989, at theTulsaCenterfor Contemporary Art, Peggy was honored to exhibit “Menta Costa,” a performance theater piece and visual exhibit based on her life. It was written by Walt Kosty and co-directed by Peggy.

In 1990 Peggy opened her own gallery, theGenreArtisansCenter, in her hometown ofDenver,Colorado. During its nine-year run, Peggy realized her goals to present monthly exhibits and offer art workshops. In 1992 her gallery was voted Best New Gallery by “Westward” magazine. She closed the gallery in order to focus on her own art again.

Turned Bowl Process

The turned wooden bowls and vases by Philip Moulthrop are created from green sections of native southeastern trees. The green log is first turned into its initial shape using a hand-made lathe and hand-made tools. After being turned, it is treated for several months to prevent cracking. The piece is then dried for more than a month and turned again on the lathe to its final form.

The bowl or vase undergoes numerous standings and is coated with several layers of finish. The entire process may take from four months to more than a year, depending on the type of wood and the season.

The finished piece can be wiped with a soft damp cloth and rubbed with a light wax. No abrasives should be used. The vessel should not be placed in direct sun or bright light nor subjected to extreme heat or cold as fading and damage may occur. It should not be used to serve or store foods or liquids.   

StrataSphere goes beyond the typical wind sculpture. It is a complex design that has the feeling of a gyroscope and brings to one’s imagination visions of Galileo at his workbench. Roger Heitzman is an alchemist as he blends his architectural expertise with his well-developed artistic sensibility.

Standing before StrataSphere, one becomes mesmerized by the multidirectional facets. Made of copper and brass, the gentle breezes flow into the wind-capturing vessels. The entire experience is soothing, calming and yet it exudes energy. 

Helix appears to be moving upwards at all times. It is like autumn leaves ascending in a whirlwind. The copper leaves in the wind sculpture harken back to nature and bring one to a place of peace.   

Sharon Craft has pursued her artistic nature for 35 years and with the same passion as her richly textured paintings. Her personal path of discovery and self-realization has been superimposed on her pieces with an energy that reflects her immersion.  Many of her pieces reflect the technique of faux encaustic which she has perfected and individualized.

The new series of work is a search for spirit – the innate yearning for understanding the great mystery. Sharon shares, “I use the rock form to represent basic primal manifested energy within our world. To me, these forms embody the experiences we all have in the unfolding of our lives. We create secrets – deep crevasses – or we open our consciousness to become more of who we truly are, layer upon layer. Each painting is meant to be a small universe that represents the microcosm within the macrocosm – the emergence of form, the syntheses of the concrete and spirit.  These paintings are  journeys of my heart. My intention is for the paintings to become metaphors that reveal the truth we have within us but have forgotten.” 

Sharon attended Iowa State University in the Applied Art Department. She later found herself at the Des Moines Art Center in the Artist in Residence Program. After living in the Denver area from 1975 to 2005, she now resides in New Mexico. Her paintings reflect the rich and varied landscape of Colorado and New Mexico.

“Inspiration comes from everything, everyone. Sound, taste, experience. A rusty scrap in the Sagebrush, shadows and patterns, a fiery sunset or chance encounter in the grocery line. I never know what will spark a new composition.”

Teena Ryan began wielding a paintbrush as soon as her little hands could grasp. At the age of five, she officially began her journey into the art world with children’s classes at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Later that year she won her first art competition and received a Gold Award from the Pentel International Children’s Art Exhibition.

As her painting toured the world, Teena was reminded of her achievement with a shiny gold medal and art supplies; which she immediately put to good use, to win the same award for the next eight consecutive years in school. These early artistic pursuits gave Teena the confidence to pursue traditional art on a more serious level; selling her first piece to a collector as a senior in high school. The piece was a multi-layered Linoleum block print out of her Scholastic Gold Key Award winning portfolio.

Over the next several years, Teena attended two art schools, kept a studio in downtown Cincinnati and had countless shows throughout the Ohio/Kentucky area. Then one day, seeking a new medium for expression, Teena decided to try Graphic Design. She was soon awarded a full scholarship to FullSailUniversity where she earned several awards, a degree in Digital Art and Design and graduated first in her class.

Immediately following the end of her academic program, Teena decided to challenge the left side of her brain like never before. She enrolled at the University of Wisconsin to study Anthropology. She graduated Cum Laude and realized Anthropology was the missing piece to her creative process.

After a seven year period of traveling, sketching, earning two degrees, many awards and managing a graphic design business Teena Ryan decided to get back into the studio. Her new series focuses on layering as a form of storytelling. Her images are partial abstracts, often depicting imagined birds, nests and eggs; all which reflect the artist's current interest in the concept of nesting, as well as, colorful Taos Dreamscapes inspired by the landscape.

As Ellsworth Kelly so eloquently stated "I think that if you can turn off the mind and look only with the eyes, ultimately everything becomes abstract." Teena has always had a passionate imagination, which lends itself well to a more abstract style. “I do not seek to represent that which others can see plainly, but rather that which they feel - a gesture of a landscape, a moment in time, the emotion of an event.” Form, line, color are the primary tools used to create her images.

Teena is primarily drawn to the work of Gerhard Richter, Per Kirkeby, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Joseph Cornell and Jean Michel Basquiat.   Today Teena Ryan lives in the incredible High Desert of Taos, New Mexico where she produces an array of art, from mixed media paintings to sculptures drawn from nature, found objects and gems. The uncommon pairing of Teena's interests: Anthropology, Graphic Design and Traditional Art, are instrumental in helping her illustrate a truly unique perspective. 

Artists Statement:  “I have always been a student of the visual arts, and enjoyed exploring the creative process with a variety of media. Once I discovered beads, my future was determined. I have spent many years doing independent study on all facets of bead work, as well as studying with several world-class bead artists. The one person who influenced me the most was NanC Meinhart who always questioned ‘what would happen if…?’ I enjoy doing bead work for competitions, but much prefer creating pieces which can be worn. Whenever someone tells me how special they feel wearing one of my pieces of jewelry, I know I made the right decision.”

Vicki’s creations are multi-faceted, multimedia pieces of art using diverse materials such as Japanese seed beads, vintage Czech glass beads, German Lucite flowers as well as natural semi-precious stones, sequins and drop beads accented with filigree clasps, brass charms and chains. Whether necklaces, bracelets or earrings, Vicki’s designs are one-of-a-kind. Often asymmetrical and embellished with artful button clasps, the intricate handmade woven pieces feel cloth, draping like beautiful tapestries rather than traditional jewelry. From vintage and Victorian to classic and contemporary, the pieces are collectibles of the finest quality.

Virginia Vaughan, known as “V” to the art world, married into a farm family. Her children were the fourth generation on the Gault dairy farm, where Virginia spent 32 years. When the Austin, Texas sprawl surrounded the farm and selling became the only realistic option, Virginia lovingly documented her last year there in a series of 365 poignant oil paintings known as Last Year on the Farm. These delicate oils range from lightening shooting from angry mauve clouds at dawn, to a hot orange sun hanging over quiet fields in a lavender sky, to a flock of egrets flying over a plowed field against the backdrop of a multi-hued sky. Virginia’s feelings about leaving the farm are reflected in the mauves, purples, violets and lavenders that predominate in her rich, delicate palette. The series touched a chord in a country gradually losing its family farms. This series has been honored with exhibits at museums nationwide and collected in the book, “Last Year on the Farm: A Story of Change.”

Her growth as an artist through this project has led her to the challenge of “drive-by” paintings, executed in a car while her husband drives. She specializes in small 6” x 8” pieces, time capsules of the spirit of a place at a moment in time. “I paint because it’s the best way I know how to communicate, study and observe God’s creative work and to think His thoughts after Him,” she says.

Virginia’s exhibition Passing America: The Great Plains will open at the Great Plains Art Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska on Oct 2, 2011. Her two-year project consists of over 100 oil paintings which describe the passing of time and seasons as fewer Americans work and live on farms. Drawn deeply from her own experience, these works carry an emotion, not only for the historical subject matter, but also by the manner in which the works are created.

Virginia spent many years as a graphic designer, art director and illustrator, working in advertising and winning the coveted Addy Awards. She has studied with artists Ray Vinella, Kevin Macpherson, Ann Templeton, Kathryn Stats and Carolyn Anderson. Since 1989 Virginia has been the art instructor at Round Rock Christian Academy in Texas and  teaches painting workshops across America, most recently at the Fredericksburg Artist’s School in Texas. 

Wendy Salin’s love of form can be seen in her figurative bronze sculpture. Initially self taught, her work accelerated after studying at theLovelandAcademy, theScottsdaleArtistSchooland Crystal Hawk Studios. While her work is quietly personal, it also evokes a universal in theme. Her intention is to give form to the emotions that reside within us all.

“My work is a culmination of my experiences. My family continues to be a perpetual source of inspiration to me. They have taught me to celebrate the moment; the precious ones, the unexpected ones, the reflective and the fleeting. It is my hope that my sculptures will bring voice to these experiences and compel the viewer to share in the wonder of these moments.”

Wendy’s artistic education began early in the enrichment program at the Los Angeles Museum of Art. It was here she first discovered her passion for form. Her talent and determination earned her a scholarship from the Ford Motor Company to the Art Center College of Design. Here she was afforded the opportunity to study Industrial Design. During her industrial career, she worked in the fields of corporate aircraft, automotive design and conceptual product design. Wendy traveled extensively in this period, spending time in Japan and Europe. It was while in Rome that she was profoundly affected by the sculptural masterwork. From then on, she felt driven to sculpt and, after fifteen years as a designer and fabricator, turned her sights to sculpting full time. She hasn’t looked back since that point.

Wendy’s appreciation for detail, subtlety and compassion for the human experience has earned her places in several national and international collections. She has great sensitivity for the human form. Her highly-acclaimed Men in Motion series depicts a muscular strength against the smoothness of flexibility to set up a tension and passion that is the signature of fine, classical art.

“All my inspiration comes from nature observed in my travels to Canada, Mexico, Ireland, England and of course, all over New Mexico. Land and sky are my strongest influences and that has lead me into my most recent glass paintings which portray landscapes, skyscapes and red mesas.”

“I have always had a deep fascination with our Native American culture, especially the art and design based upon nature and mythology. My interpretations of their dances and regalia inspire my “Dancers” series, which I often alternate with the landscape glass paintings.”

When artist William C. Davis was a little boy living in Washington State, he wanted to be an Indian Chief so he drew fantasy pictures of battles, carved totem poles, and made bows and arrows. He always had an interest in various art forms and at age 14 his family moved to Hollywood, California. After high school, he took a job doing technical drawings for a manufacturing company. Realizing that a higher education would bring more income to his family he entered premed studies at a junior college.

While in junior college, he ventured into some drawing classes and eventually discovered ceramics. While his art production was ongoing, he realized how much it would cost to attend medical school so he changed his major to Life Science Teaching, and after graduating, entered L.A. State College. By this time, he had acquired a wife, two children and a divorce. He was then a single dad with two kids.

In order to complete all courses for his major in science and minor in art while working full time at Lockheed Corp., he had to change shifts three times. His academic advisor recommended that he change majors and work towards being an art teacher. After graduating with a B.A. in Art, he taught art/ceramics and set up a pottery at his home and began to sell drawings and pots.

As time rolled by, he became a “training teacher” for the L.A. City Schools, supervising college students to teach general art and ceramics. As luck would have it, he was asked to teach ceramics at a local junior college. For a while, he taught middle school in the daytime and junior college at night. He then transferred and began teaching high school. An opening at the state university in Northridge, CA presented itself and he jumped on the opportunity.

Bill taught craft and design courses at the university and wrote curriculum for glass and design studies. During his tenure he taught drawing, craft, 2d design and 3d design. During these busy years, he managed to complete two masters degrees, one in Ceramics and the other in fine arts from USC. In order to become a  full professor, he had to exhibit widely. His works in ceramics and glass have been in more than 125 shows; regional, national and international. His work has been shown in Germany, Australia and Canada. National shows include: The Oakland Museum (CA), Leigh Yawkey Museum, Milwaukee  (WI), Long Beach Museum (CA), and a one man show at Palmdale College (CA) including two of  their affiliated galleries. Bill retired in 1992 and was awarded professor emeritus from California State University in Northridge.

He discovered New Mexico in the 1980’s and vowed to move to Taos one day. “So my wife and I moved to Taos in 2005. Finally I am living in a place where I  don’t have to pack and ship my work out of state.”