The interests and abilities of artist Christopher Owen Nelson are as vast as the sea. Skilled in multiple artistic mediums, he has a passion not only for art, but also for music, gardening, fishing, and construction. It was while working in construction, in fact, that Nelson realized he needed to devote himself to being an artist. Though he had possessed an innate calling to create and experiment with art almost from the time that he was born, and though he had finished his education at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Nelson had not yet realized the hold that art had on him—the necessity of creating it.

One day on a construction assignment, Nelson was framing a house with some other workers. “I’m not sure what fueled it,” Nelson says, “but I just walked over and I sat down…on the side of this property, looking out over the mountains, and I just started crying. I was like, ‘What am doing? What am I doing?…I’m an artist. I need to be a painter.’ And that’s it.”

Christopher Owen Nelson quickly emerged as one of the top young talents in Denver’s vibrant art community. He has pioneered the use of carved and manipulated acrylic, creating art that affects the viewer on a profound level. By portraying natural landscapes in an entirely unique way, Nelson is able to capture their raw and overwhelming beauty. This successful rendering of the natural world is due not only to Nelson’s innovative medium—carved and painted plexiglass—but also to his vision. Nelson is able to communicate beauty because he perceives it.

“Anchored and Drifting: A One-Man Show of New Paintings by Christopher Owen Nelson” opens at Waxlander Gallery on May 22nd and runs through June 4th, with an artist reception on Friday, May 25th from 5 to 7 PM.

One Tree Hill - Christopher Owen Nelson

Waxlander Art Gallery is proud to kick off its 2012 season with an exhibition by its newest artist! Denver native Christopher Owen Nelson will present his most recent works in a one-man show entitled “Anchored and Drifting.” Nelson’s one-of-a-kind acrylic carved and painted plexiglass pieces, marked by their bold use of color, establish him as an innovator: a passionate artist who puts his own refreshing spin on the traditional landscape, daring to push conventional boundaries of color, scale, and controlled emotion—and continuing to push his own boundaries as an artist.

Born in Denver, Colorado, in 1979, Nelson possessed an innate calling to create and experiment with art. Self-trained as a teenager and then formally educated at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, he quickly emerged as one of the top young talents in Denver’s vibrant art community. Nelson’s work transcends genres, defying the established labels of the art world. He has pioneered the use of carved and manipulated acrylic, creating art that affects the viewer on a profound level. His aggressive manipulation of color and abstractions, as well as his unique portrayal of familiar landscapes, allows him to capture beauty as the eye beholds it: new, exciting, and constantly evolving.

“My goal,” says Nelson, “is only to capture just a piece of the beauty I see around me, and do it some small justice through my vision.” His vision, as evidenced by his art, is rare, potent, and bursting with creative energy. Nelson skillfully harnesses this energy in his paintings. It is present in his vivid use of color, in the twisting tree branches and bulbous clouds that leap forth from plexiglass, and in the excitement that courses through viewers as they witness his art.

“Anchored and Drifting: A One-Man Show of New Paintings by Christopher Owen Nelson” opens at Waxlander Gallery on May 22nd and runs through June 4th, with an artist reception on Friday, May 25th from 5 to 7 PM.

Charcoal - Christopher Owen Nelson

Daydreaming - Christopher Owen Nelson

If purchasing a piece off the blog, mention that you found the piece on the blog and get a special discount!

Passport to the Arts kicks of the summer season on Canyon Road this weekend

After months of planning, weeks of delving through the details, and days of anticipation, the first annual Passport to the Arts is finally upon us.

This weekend, Canyon Road will devote itself to a celebration of the arts. From visual mediums to musical melodies, Santa Fe’s famed arts district will come alive with art lovers from all walks of life.

The event will rev up on Friday with special exhibitions and openings at several of the galleries, boutiques and restaurants along the road.

Things will really kick into high gear on Saturday, with a day packed full of events, including live music, a silent auction, and much more.

The fun will start early with a quick draw at 9:30 a.m. Thirty-three artists from galleries all along Canyon Road are participating in the quick draw. Each artist will have 90 minutes to create an original work of art, which will be auctioned off immediately following the event.

We will be hosting one of the three sites for the quick draw in our sculpture garden and are sponsoring five artists in the event, including Barbara Ivey, Cheryl Koen, James Trigg, Andrée Hudson, and Bernard Marks. We will also have several pieces in the silent auction.

Live performances by local student musicians and a free concert by the Tribute Trio will set the musical tone for the day.

Visit www.visitcanyonroad.com for a full schedule of events and more information on Passport to the Arts.

The weekend will come to a close on Sunday with the Historic Santa Fe Foundation’s annual Historic Homes Tour. This year the foundation has chosen to highlight buildings that appeared on the 1912 Kings Map of Canyon Road. The tour will run from 1-4 p.m. Visit www.historicsantafe.org/Tour.htm for more information about the tour.

Meet Lori Faye Bock’s colorful cast of creatures

Just Lookin' for Some Peace of Mind - Lori Faye Bock

Anyone who has owned a pet can attest that animals possess personalities all their own. With the raise of an eyebrow, the lift of a head, the sound of a sigh, they communicate. Sometimes it is hunger, sometimes it is annoyance, sometimes it is mischief, and sometimes it is total, unconditional love. Lori Faye Bock’s ability to convey the range of emotion of our closest animal friends, be they sleeping on the foot of your bed or grazing in a pasture, is truly remarkable.

Her imaginative depictions sketch out the distinct personalities of her subjects in bold colors and whimsical surroundings. Whether she is portraying sheep, cats, dogs, or birds, her paintings restore in even the most serous and cynical adults a sense of child-like wonder.

“In the beginning, surrounded by a menagerie of cats, dogs and sheep, whose eyes just don’t ever leave me alone — ever — there was no doubt in my mind what subject matter I was to paint,” she says. “So I painted and painted and painted … animals.”

A Room with a View

Her windowscapes series finds joy in the simplest household items. In spoons, and tables, and chairs, and household plants, she uncovers something fresh. Her paintings reveal in these common items an uncommon beauty.

“Household objects, both ordinary and extraordinary, intrigue me,” she

Long Way Home 2 - Lori Faye Bock

says. “I believe my windowscapes evolved so that I can have animals and landscapes along with those wonderful domestic inventions — all in one painting!”

Back to Basics

In her ABC series, she is also able to connect with the child’s sense of awe and wonder at the greater world, elevating simple objects to a greater purpose.

“My years as a first grade teacher have no doubt influenced my ABC series,” she says. “Besides being able to paint anything in the whole wide world as long as it begins with a letter of the alphabet, I get to write text, which accompanies my illustrations. Sometimes these words are funny. Sometimes they are serious. Sometimes they are mine and sometimes I borrow from others.”

Farm Fresh

Lori lives with her husband on a farm just outside of Abiquiu, in northern New Mexico. The creatures she finds on her land, whether they are in the household, on the farm, or in the wild, feed her imagination and provide rich fodder for her work.

“Being able to vanish into my studio, thus into my own little world, day in and day out, is truly a tremendous gift and blessing,” she says. “And the best thing about being an artist is that I get to go to work in my pajamas, with a cup of tea in hand, followed by a host of darling faces who just happen to have whiskers.”

Her latest series is titled Women’s Perspectives and explores, through imagery and words, the inner lives of women.

Stop by the gallery to see Lori’s latest work in person.

If purchasing a piece off the blog, mention that you found the piece on the blog and get a special discount!