You could say that to step across the threshold of our gallery is to enter the great outdoors. Many of our artists take nature’s beauty as inspiration, whether they’re in the High Plains of Colorado, the prairie lands of Oklahoma or the Rocky Mountains in our backyard.

On October 20, you’ll have a chance to see nine of Waxlander’s artists in their element at this year’s Historic Canyon Road Paint Out. Learn about the featured artists in our next two blog posts, then take a hike on Canyon Road and meet them en plein air!

ANDREE HUDSON

Andree at the 2011 Paint Out

Andree Hudson paints in her studio near Denver, but her creative process begins outside in the foothills of the Rockies and on the High Plains.

“I get my energy from the cowboys and the horses out here,” she says.

Andree roams with a camera in hand, taking thousands of pictures that she later uses as inspiration for her acrylics. Back in the studio, she allows memory and emotion to influence her color choices, bringing out the personalities of the big characters and majestic animals she’s come to love.

The artist works hard to delve into contemplative moments in her subjects’ lives, so don’t be surprised if, after a single conversation, it seems like she already knows you.

MATTHEW HIGGINBOTHAM

Ode to the Great Prarie Lands - Matthew Higginbotham

Matthew Higginbotham was the owner of Northwest Pottery and Fine Arts in Spokane, Washington for a number of years before new inspiration struck and he decided to try oil painting. At first he experimented with many subjects, but when he moved to Chimayo, New Mexico in 1995, the wild crept into his oeuvre.

“It just seemed natural for me to want to study the nuances of what I was seeing in the fields and skies,” he says. “The more I painted them, the more I began to understand how they made me feel.”

Matthew has since planted the legs of his easel in some of our nation’s most beautiful landscapes. They’ll land in the soil of our sculpture garden for this year’s Paint Out.

BRUCE KING

Echoes of the Hunt - Bruce King

It’s natural that Bruce King’s paintings would be closely tied to the outdoors—that’s where grew up.

“We were in the woods. It was kind of a hardscrabble existence,” he says of his childhood spent roaming the Oneida Reservation of Wisconsin. Bruce later moved to Chicago and New York, but he never forgot those early years that taught him about his people.

Bruce’s works cast Native American figures into harsh landscapes that are interwoven with ribbons of brilliant color. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with Bruce—his multicolored pallet attests to his personality. He took up improvisational acting in New York, and is sure to get you laughing.

BERNARD MARKS

Marks at the 2011 Paint Out

Like Matthew Higginbotham, Bernard Marks was primarily a figurative painter until New Mexico’s skies filled his eyes. He started painting plein air when he moved to the Southwest in 2003.

Bernard says his painted worlds exist in an “idealized reality.”

“If you compared one of my paintings to the actual scene that inspired it, you would have no trouble making the connection,” he explains. “But I believe you would also recognize what I’ve brought to the scene.”

You can do just that at the Fifth Annual Historic Canyon Road Paint Out on Saturday, October 20th from 10 am to 3 pm. Check back here soon to learn about the five other artists who will be painting in our sculpture garden, and see the Canyon Road Merchant Association’s blog for more information on the event.

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

Cloudscape Series III - Matthew Higginbotham

One only needs to look at a painting by Matthew Higginbotham to feel the dance between the land and the sky. Like the progression of melody he captures the changing of the seasons. The inquisitive colors of spring counter the quiet reflection of fall hues. The booming cloudburst of a summer storm is matched with the delicate grace of a first snowfall.

“Like good music there are contrasting notes and that’s one of the things I explore,” he says.

That “still small voice”

As the name of his “Land as Spirit” show suggests, the land and each season has a spirit all its own. Higginbotham is very moved by what he sees and strives to be a conduit, painting the spirit that he senses in the landscape so that others may experience what he encounters. Each stroke of the brush imparts the healing nature of the places he paints.

Abiquiu Canyon Poplars - Matthew Higginbotham

“I think it’s about really looking at the landscape and letting it communicate to me. It is that ‘still small voice’ that is deeply internal and healing and inspires me to paint what I see.”

Everyday Miracles

To Higginbotham there is something about the absolute beauty in the landscape that depicting it becomes a spiritual encounter. To him the land is never contrived or stifled. Though he’s worked with various forms and subjects over the years he has found that landscapes provide all the color and emotion that he had been seeking.

“Perhaps the miracle is that I am so moved and transformed by the land.”

Matthew Higganbotham’s ‘Land as Spirit’ runs through September 10th. Come experience the miracles that he paints today.

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

Off Hopi Point - Matthew Higginbotham

We only have to venture outside our houses each morning to know that the landscape we call home is nothing short of miraculous. Ochre deserts under a rising sun, the slight trembling of grass, vistas giving way to canyons—the spirit of New Mexico rests in its silent, open spaces. When painter Matthew Higginbotham comes in contact with this vibrating spirit of the land, the emotions he feels bring him to a canvas.

In his upcoming one-man show, “Land As Spirit,” Higginbotham strolls through the seasons with paintings that mark the point at which observation becomes spiritual encounter. The glory and the reverence he feels towards his subject is unbound, and as he hikes through the rangelands and bosques of the Southwest, the land rises up before him and pronounces its tremendous healing capacities. In his work, Higginbotham strives to be a “conduit,” a vessel for that miraculous transformative power.

Beginning his artistic career as a ceramicist in Spokane, Washington, Higginbotham owned Northwest Pottery and Fine Arts before a creative revelation pushed him in the direction of the canvas. There were things he could do with paint that he felt he could not do with glaze. His work began with a series of Southwest churches that eventually led him to a commission for the Santuario de Chimayo in Northern New Mexico, where he moved in 1995. Since then, he has made landscapes his primary focus.

High Desert Grasslands - Matthew Higginbotham

The body of work that will be shown in “Land As Spirit” explores water as life. Rivers hold color and light, delivering nourishment to the flowers and fields. Subtle colors “dance across the sky and within the spirit of the massing clouds.” Though Higginbotham paints all seasons, his work tends to favor the autumn months with the gold-ochre hues of grasses and turning cottonwoods. That spirit he seeks can be found in both quiet and brilliant scenes—the peace within a clearing monsoon or the ravishing display of a New Mexican sunset. Natural subjects are unique in that they provide subtlety as well as intensity. “Each season offers up its soul,” he says, “manifesting in varying hues. Spring’s brilliant colors eventually transform to the softer subtler shades of fall.”

Take a cyclical voyage of the New Mexican landscape when you visit “Land As Spirit,” an exhibit opening on the cusp of autumn. Higginbotham is especially aware of the complex ways that nature sustains itself. “The cloud pieces represent the beginning of the cycle of life in the New Mexico environment,” he explains. “Spring monsoons bring the first rains after a long winter—they replenish the earth and bring forth life from the ground. The rivers swell as these pregnant clouds let loose sky-sweeping storms and the acequia ditches flood. The acequias bring water to wildflowers and farms, which start to bloom and grow.” The deep spiritual knowledge he gains from such gentle observation is clearly visible in his stunning landscapes.

Come see the paintings that hold the energy and soulfulness of pure spirit. “Land As Spirit” will run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 10, with an artist reception Aug. 31 from 5-7 p.m.

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

The 3rd Annual Waxlander Gallery Art Auction is in full swing! The auction runs through next Saturday, February 4th with bidding coming to a close at 4:00 p.m. MST.

With the first two installments of the event available just to Waxlander collectors, we have opened this year’s event to all bidders to allow as many people possible the opportunity to add beautiful pieces of art to their collections. With the works set at the lowest prices of the year, it is a great chance for you to add them to your home or office at a great value.

There are close to 200 pieces up for auction this year featuring the work of many of our artists. We are very happy that this year’s participating artists includes many who have been with us for some time, such as Bruce King, Matthew Higginbotham, and Andree Hudson. We are also very pleased that some of our newest artists, including Christopher Owen Nelson and Phyllis Randall, are taking part as well!

Here is a full list of the participating artists: Lori Faye Bock, Childers-West, Jim Cohen, Paul Cunningham, Suzanne Donazetti, Michael Ethridge, Georgia Gerber, Sandy Graves, Higginbotham, Walter Horak, Hudson, Tony Jojola, King, Ana Lazovsky, Bernard Marks, Sharon Markwardt, Nelson, Marshall Noice, Sangita Phadke, Richard Pankratz, Linda Prokop, Randall, Slava TCH, Jono Tew, Chris Turri.

Additionally, we are happy to announce that special works from artist and gallery owner Phyllis Kapps’ personal collection will also be available!

A few tidbits about the bidding process: The opening bid for paintings has been set at 40% off the retail price. For sculptures, the opening bids have been marked at 25% off. If the opening bid for a piece has started at less than $1,000, then the bids increase in $50 increments. With pieces starting at $1,000 or more, the bidding increases in increments of $100. If there is a piece you absolutely must have and you do not want to take the chance of losing it to another bidder, you can purchase it at our ‘Buy It Now’ price which is set at 10% off retail.

For information on the artists and which of their pieces are available, please visit their artist page at http://www.waxlander.com/artists-santa-fe-art-gallery. Auction Items will be marked in red and will be the first images on each of the participating artists’ page.

For questions on the auction you can call the gallery at 505-984-2202 or email us at art@waxlander.com. To make a bid, the same telephone number and email address apply. The winning bidders for each piece will be notified by phone following the conclusion of the event.

Once again, we are very excited for this year’s auction. It gives us great joy to be able to offer so many great pieces and such great prices.

Happy bidding!!

With the new year upon us we are busy putting the finishing touches on what was a great 2011. And as we move into 2012 there is a great deal that we are looking forward to.

There is much from the last year that we are very grateful for. From all of the wonderful artist shows, to our many events such as the Canyon Road Paint Out, to welcoming new artists to the Waxlander family, the past year was successful and fulfilling in so many ways. And, of course, we are very thankful for the support of our friends and families. We certainly couldn’t do what we love without all of you!

Looking ahead to 2012, we cannot help but be excited about what we have in store to share with everyone. In just a few weeks we have one of the jewels of the winter art season with ArtFeast. It is always a great weekend filled with food, fine art, fun, and more food. For information on this treasured event, visit http://artfeast.com/.

We are also looking forward to further introducing everyone to our newest artists, Phyllis Randall and Christopher Nelson. A self-described ‘East coast girl’, Randall is an accomplished and highly regarded pastel painter who focuses her efforts on capturing the beauty of what she calls her ‘home away from home’, the Southwest.

In a short period of time, Nelson has established himself as one of the top young talents to emerge from the vibrant Denver art community. His natural abilities and intense desire to explore the artistic nature within have given rise to an entirely new approach to traditional landscape, figurative and abstract work.

Christopher Nelson - Depth Perception

Phyllis Randall - After the Rain

Along with being one of our new artists, we are also pleased to announce that Nelson will be kicking off the 2012 summer art season with his one-man show which runs from May 22nd to June 4th. We could not be more delighted to showcase his talent and his new and refreshing style at the beginning of this summer.

Following Nelson we are pleased to share that we will be having our first ever group pastel show, featuring the works of Sangita Phadke, Marshall Noice, and our matriarch, Phyllis Kapp. After our group pastel show, we will be bringing you individual shows featuring Noice, Andree Hudson, Suzanne Donazetti, Bruce King, and Matthew Higginbotham.

Black and Red Grapes - Sangita Phadke

Marshall Noice - River View Maples

"One Wonderful Day" Watercolor by Phyllis Kapp!

The unofficial end to the summer art season comes with this year’s edition of the Canyon Road Paint Out. The Paint Out gets better each and every year, and this year is sure to be no different. And to finish out the year we will be hosting our annual holiday show featuring new works by many of our artists!

We are certainly going to be keeping ourselves on our toes this year, making sure to bring you the very best in vibrant, fine art. To keep abreast of everything going on at Waxlander this year, come back and visit us weekly.  As always, please feel free to call the gallery, as well, at 505-984-2022.

Andree Hudson - Show Time

Suzanne Donzanetti - Flames of Nim

Bruce King - Unveiling the War Lance

Matthew Higgenbotham - Last Hour on Canyon Mesa