It’s not every opening that we serve art on a platter. This Friday, February 22 we’re hosting Terra at Four Seasons Encantado during the Edible Art Tour, and the food will be as colorful as the canvases.

ARTfeast is an annual fundraiser for nonprofit ARTsmart, which provides opportunities for local kids to connect with the visual arts. The Edible Art Tour, ARTfeast’s most popular event, transforms 35 Canyon Road and downtown galleries into gourmet restaurants for an evening with the help of our area’s best chefs.

Chef Andrew Cooper of Terra will be our guest artist Friday evening. Andrew has over 20 years of experience all around the world, and has committed himself to bringing out the best in local cuisine wherever he is. His offerings are regional, seasonal, organic and modern.

Black And White – Sharon Markwardt

While you’re visiting our pop-up eatery, make sure to satisfy your art cravings as well. We’ll have works on show from everyone in our stable. Sample the vibrant acrylics of Andree Hudson, drink in the glowing oils of Matthew Higginbotham and chew on the mythological sculptures of Rob Gigliotti.

Make sure to leave room for more delicious food and great art later in the weekend at ARTfeast’s Artists’ Champagne Brunch & Auction. Sharon Markwardt will represent Waxlander at the event on Sunday, and her vibrant artwork will be up for auction to benefit ARTsmart.

The Edible Art Tour is Friday, February 22 from 5-8 pm, and the Artists’ Champagne Brunch & Auction is Sunday, February 24 at 11:30 am. You can buy tickets for both events at Waxlander or on the ARTfeast website. Check out our Twitter and Facebook feeds for more information and updates.

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Preparing to Dance – Andree Hudson

Andree Hudson‘s ballerina in “Preparing to Dance” is the picture of delicate grace. The shape she creates with her body when she stretches seems carefully choreographed; she’s a quivering lotus flower, a rainforest frog resting on a leaf. Andree worked as an illustrator for medical textbooks in college, and you can see how precisely she builds the woman’s slender frame beneath those gestural ribbons of vibrant acrylic.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Andree tells me that this dancer has something in common with the great lumbering beasts of Colorado’s High Plains. “A lot of times I’m painting longhorns, and they remind me of ballerinas,” she says. “It’s just something about the way cows run towards you that looks like a dance.”

Rush Hour – Andree Hudson

Could there be common ground between the dusty corral of “Rush Hour” and the smooth dance floor in “Preparing to Dance”? It might seem like a stretch, but take a moment to peer through the lifelong artist‘s eyes.

Though “Preparing to Dance” seems serene, and its subject docile, there’s pent up power in those lean muscles that’s reflected in Andree’s sizzling palette. Look again at “Rush Hour” and you’ll find a similar array of pure hues. The dancer might be lost in thought, but if she rose to her toes she’d be fit to lead the longhorns’ swirling stampede.

The Dance – Andree Hudson

Indeed, the sensuous lines of the ballerina’s legs in “The Dance” closely match those of the beasts in “Rush Hour”. It’s suddenly easier to picture the cows as a burly ballet troupe, or to see the animals’ bodies in the angular figures of the dancers.

Now imagine the surreal beauty of a pas de deux between them. It doesn’t seem so far-fetched in the extraordinary world of Andree Hudson.

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Fur Jacket – Andree Hudson

If there were ever a time to make an acquisition at Waxlander, now would be it. We’re kicking off a very busy year with our annual call-in art auction, running now through February 2. Don’t wait until the last minute to make a move, though. Interest is high, so browse discounted offerings from all 30 of our artists hereand then place your bid at 1-800-342-2202.

Western genre painter Andree Hudson‘s most common subjects are the great beasts that roam the foothills near her home outside Denver. Though you’ll see graceful horses among Andree’s lots in this year’s auction, some of the most stunning works available are of the animals’ riders. The artist’s portraits of Western women, all of whom she knows personally, capture intimate moments in the lives of these rough-and-tumble characters. See the starting bid for “Fur Jacket” and other glowing acrylics here.

Lean in close to your computer screen and study the poetry of Matthew Higginbotham‘s brushstrokes in “Midday Clouds Over Field Grasses II”. Any one section of the golden meadow looks like an abstract painting, but as a whole it’s a thrilling perspectival study of the breathtaking sprawl of the Great Plains. Rest assured it’s even better in person. Browse Matthew’s other lots here.

Montana artist Marshall Noice watches his surroundings carefully, but when brush touches canvas the landscapes that emerge capture sensation and emotion rather than direct reality. If the sun hits an autumn tree, Marshall paints its intersecting branches using only a fiery red. When the first shadows of dusk touch the forest floor, stark bands of dark blue and purple appear behind bright yellow tree trunks. Find out which of Marshall’s paintings are on the block here.

One of Oneida artist Bruce King‘s lots has already sold at our discounted “Buy it Now” price, so make sure to act fast if you’re interested in the post-impressionist’s work. His “Echoes of the Hunt”, a rushing river of bison that plays with the visual vocabulary of prehistoric cave paintings, is just one of the works that’s still available. Check out all of them on his artist page.

Other lots in this year’s auction include works by Chris Turri, Christopher Owen Nelson, Josiane Childers and Justin West, Suzanne Donazetti, Laurel Peterson Gregory and all the rest of our incredible artists. Click here for more information, and ask questions or place your bid at 1-800-342-2202.

Echoes of the Hunt – Bruce King

Stop by Waxlander for holiday warmth

The One I Love – Phyllis Kapp

It’s the coldest time of year, but Waxlander’s artists have hardly let the frost spread to their palettes. Our entire stable provided new work for our “Holiday Aglow” show this year, and their vibrant canvases will be keeping our gallery nice and toasty until January.

Denver artist Andree Hudson‘s acrylics glow with high desert sunshine even when her subjects are caught in the dead of winter. In “Winter Coat”, bright yellow tones blanket a lively beast who seems to know that the best way to stave off winter’s chill is with a warm spirit.

The land she loves might be blanketed in snow, but Phyllis Kapp has had no time to hibernate. She just crowned her whirlwind year with a trip to Chicago, where she was featured in a new wing of the Peoria Riverfront museum. The crisp, pure colors in Phyllis’ summery Southwestern landscapes reflect our remarkable founder’s unbridled energy, and are particularly refreshing during the darker months.

Paul Cunningham often employs cooler tones in his acrylics, but you’d be hard pressed to find one without a burst of red, yellow or cream. A pair of colorful fish huddle close in a chilly sea of blue and grey, but the swish of their tails is unmistakably joyful in Paul’s “Aquatic Splendor”.

When Nancy Eckels gets in the holiday spirit, you know it. Great plumes of color erupt from “Champagne Nights”, cutting across the patchwork grid that usually binds her compositions. It may be a few weeks away, but Nancy’s already gearing up for New Year’s.

Before you hit the champagne, come sip cider and experience “Holiday Aglow” with us during the Canyon Road Farolito Walk on Monday, December 24. We’ll be open all evening, so swing by for a hot beverage when your toes start to freeze. You’ll find that colorful art makes pretty great insulation. “Holiday Aglow” will be up through January 1st, 2013.

Winter Coat – Andree Hudson

Champagne Nights – Nancy Eckels

Aquatic Splendor – Paul Cunningham

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

If all the world’s a stage, then Canyon Road is a particularly lively one. On any given day you’ll see excited collectors on art pilgrimages, gallery directors hanging works behind wide windows, enormous delivery trucks trying to navigate the narrow passage, and that ever-changing cast of sculptures in everyone’s yards.

On October 20, the plot will thicken considerably. This year’s Historic Canyon Road Paint Out includes a parade, choir concerts, face painting and even a chance to pet a burro. Of course, with more than 100 artists from 25 galleries painting en plein air, the real drama will play out not on our legendary street but on the surfaces of the canvases.

Waxlander’s troupe this year comprises nine of our brilliant artists, four of which you saw in act one of this blog post. Get to know the rest of the ensemble below, and then meet them—and their work—at the Paint Out on Saturday.

Marshall Noice - Deep Evening Sky

MARSHALL NOICE

Marshall was born in North Dakota and lives in Montana, where he’s owned Noice Studio & Gallery for more than 30 years. The artist takes cues from Expressionism and Impressionism to create abstracted landscapes that have a gripping emotional power.

“My work’s greatest pleasure comes when I’m in the thick of battle to let a painting emerge,” he says. “I have my issues. What color next to that? Another line there? Take that out?”

When he’s at work, Marshall often loses himself in the process of “simply painting, watching, concentrating…” When you stop to watch him, be prepared to take the same internal journey.

Patrick Matthews - Above Hyde Park

PATRICK MATTHEWS

If anyone’s ready for the Paint Out, it’s Patrick. The neo-impressionist from Arkansas has wielded his brush along the highways of the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Mexico. Canyon Road? No problem!

Patrick was a successful design architect when he came to a crossroads and decided to go wherever his lifelong passion for the outdoors took him. The transition from shaping a space to painting one seemed natural for him—you can sense his keen awareness of his surroundings in his impeccable landscapes.

“Painting outdoors… my very vision changes and paintings appear on my canvases,” says Patrick. This weekend, you’ll have a chance to look through his eyes.

Tracee Gentry-Matthews - Historic Santa Fe

TRACEE GENTRY MATTHEWS

Tracee is quite accustomed to painting urban locales- she does depictions of city skylines, from Santa Fe to Manhattan. Whether she’s painting adobe or skyscrapers, all of her works have something in common: a bright, joyful color palette.

“I hope the viewer of my works can step inside the paintings and see the sights, feel the changing sky… and simply smile with happiness,” Tracee says. She’ll surely be in her element at the event.

Paul Cunningham - Natural Captivity

PAUL CUNNINGHAM

Paul spent most of his career painting cowboys and the Wild West, but now he spends his time exploring abstract worlds. His traveling companions are curious fish and busy hummingbirds, who often play among his vibrant color fields. Paul is eager to introduce them to you.

Sharon Markwardt - Happy Birthday, Sweet Thing

SHARON MARKWARDT

Animals are also a big part of Sharon’s oeuvre. The Texan artist lived in the Metroplex until 2005, when she moved to the countryside to accommodate her daughter’s horse. Sharon’s own decision to ride had a fateful impact on her art—she likes to joke that her horse “threw her” into Western art.

“I look for the beauty in each of my subjects and strive to leave my viewers in an upbeat mood,” she says. Who wouldn’t smile at works like “Split Decision”?

Come delight in this artistic theatre of sorts and meet nine of Waxlander’s artists from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 20. The parade, featuring several local marching bands, will begin at 12:00 pm at the bottom of Canyon Road headed to the top, and students from the Santa Fe Public Schools Education Program will perform in front of various galleries from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. See our event page for more information.

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