The Collector’s Edition: 14 Works On Paper

The Southwest has a rich heritage of many art forms—among them, works on paper. Artists from around the world have been drawn to this corner of the United States, bringing deep knowledge of woodcuts, watercolor, etchings, lithography, and more. 

Explore a selection from the gallery’s array of works on paper and see if one calls out for your own collection.

Gene Kloss (1903-1996) - Untitled (Riders in the Dusk), watercolor, 17 x 23 ½ in.

Known for her mastery of etching and aquatint printmaking, Gene Kloss also worked in other media. Her eye for color is on full display in this moody yet electric watercolor scene.

Doel Reed (1894-1985) - The Southwest, Ed. of 25, aquatint, 10 ⅝ x 16 ⅝ in.

Often referred to as the “master of aquatint”, Doel Reed was classically trained—but not in printmaking. He taught himself the art of aquatint, bringing it to his students at Oklahoma State University, which distinguished the school’s art program from others in the region.

Sherrie McGraw (b. 1954) - Remains of the Day, watercolor, 28 x 20 in.

Sherrie McGraw’s talent knows no bounds. An award-winning artist, revered instructor, and author of multiple respected books on painting, McGraw has reached heights so many living artists aspire to attain. From her work’s elegance and unmistakable polish, it’s easy to see why.

Peter Hurd (1904-1984) - The New Mill at Los Chaves, watercolor, 20 ⅜ x 20 ⅛ in.

An accomplished watercolorist and artist in multiple media, Peter Hurd was inspired by the everyday lives of everyday New Mexicans. His work features portraits of friends and neighbors, local landscapes, and goings-on like the construction of a new mill.

Kenneth Adams (1897-1966) - Taos Indian Woman, lithograph, 12 x 8 in.

The last artist to join the famed Taos Society of Artists in 1926, Kenneth Adams followed the same path to northern New Mexico trodden by many creatives of his day. However, Adams eventually associated himself more with the Albuquerque art scene, becoming a longtime instructor at the University of New Mexico.

T.C. Cannon (1946-1978) - Turn of the Century Dandy, Ed. of 200, woodblock print, 18 ¾ x 13 in.

A painter, printmaker, poet, and all-around creative spirit, T.C. Cannon packed a lot of living—and much beauty—into his short life. His artistic mentor, Fritz Scholder, greatly influenced his colorful works centered on the Native American experience, exemplified here in Turn of the Century Dandy.

Will Shuster (1893-1969) - San Miguel Church, etching, 4 x 3 in.

Will Shuster, a member of the early 20th century artists’ group, Los Cinco Pintores, was a self-taught artist who enjoyed working in a variety of media. Some of his most cherished pieces are his etchings of famous scenes around Santa Fe, the city that became his beloved home.

Jozef G. Bakos (1891-1977) - Near the Pecos, watercolor, 21 x 22 ¾ in.

Founder of Los Cinco Pintores, Jozef Bakos was a Santa Fe transplant from Buffalo, New York, who believed in creating art not only for collectors, but also for the common man. After permanently moving to the city in 1920, he became heavily involved in the art scene and local affairs, earning his place as a beloved figure in Santa Fe history.

George Phippen (1915-1966) - Yucca, watercolor and ink, 6 x 9 in.

One of the four founding members of the Cowboy Artists of America and its first president, George Phippen was a prominent figure in the mid-century resurgence of Western art. Known for his oils and watercolors with subtle humor, Phippen made a name for himself by commissioning works for calendars, Western movies, and more.

Betsy James (b. 1948) - Late Light, First Star, watercolor & gouache, 5 x 5 in.

Betsy James is a lover of history, nature, art, and the culture of her native New Mexico. James combines her many passions in her art, which she creates from memory and imagination.

Willard Clark (1910-1992) - St. Francis Cathedral, wood block print, 4 ½ x 5 ¾ in.

Raised in Argentina, Willard Clark first visited Santa Fe on a trip to California. Not only did he feel at home amongst the Spanish speakers, he also saw the opportunity to open a print shop, which he indeed opened and ran until the start of WWII. He then began working for Los Alamos National Laboratory—enjoying dual careers as a machinist and craftsman.

Sally Hayden Von Conta - Candlelight - Santuario de Chimayo, pastel, 13 x 18 ¼ in.

Sally Hayden Von Conta arrived in Santa Fe in 1986 following a 25-year career as an advertising industry art director in New York. Today, she is active in the Northern New Mexico arts community, creating vivid plein air pastels of local landscapes, churches, and city scenes.

John Sloan (1871-1951) - Knees and Aborigines, etching, 8 ¼ x 6 ⅞ in.

John Sloan was a classically trained artist from Pennsylvania, famous for his city street scenes and urban landscapes. He is also credited with founding the Ashcan school of American art. Starting in 1918, he began spending summers in Santa Fe for the next thirty years. The merging of cultures in the budding art colony found its way into his work, seen here in Knees and Aborigines.

Louie Ewing (1908-1983) - Untitled (Evening Stroll), watercolor, 10 ¾ x 13 ¾ in.

After following his art instructor to Santa Fe in 1935, Louie Ewing became involved in the WPA’s federal art project. When the government sent silk screen supplies, Ewing was tasked with mastering the art form to teach to new students. This led to Ewing’s renown as one of the first to work creatively with serigraphy, though this rare watercolor shows how his unique, illustrative style transcended media.

These pieces, and many others by these artists, are currently available at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For pricing, please call (505) 982-4631 or email inquiry@matteucci.com.

Fremont Ellis: Capturing the Essence of Place

From small Montana mining towns to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fremont Ellis’s early years were directed by his father’s nomadic career as a dentist, carnival worker, and theater operator. Once young Fremont reached New York City at age 14 and discovered the work of Albert Bierstadt, he was inspired to paint.

Chimayo Road, oil on board, 20 x 24 in.

Paint he did. Throughout his stay in New York, the budding artist obsessively copied works in the museum. He even studied at the Art Students’ League of New York for three months before dropping out. 

When he returned to Montana, he continued to paint—but when it was time to choose a career path, practicality reigned supreme. Fremont Ellis would study to become an optometrist.

Adobe Village, oil on board, 25 x 30 in.

After completing eight months of a nine-month optometry course, Ellis opened a practice in El Paso, Texas, but the business fizzled out almost as quickly as it began. He then ventured to Santa Fe where he managed to get married, but wasn’t yet able to launch a successful art career. 

In California, he finally got lucky with photography. This new skill unlocked something for the artist, allowing him to see composition in a novel way, which translated to his painting. Ellis went back to Santa Fe to give art another earnest try—and this time, it stuck.

Forest Gulch in Spring, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 in.

By 1921, Ellis helped co-found an artists’ group in the burgeoning art colony—Los Cinco Pintores, or the “five painters”. The group included Will Shuster, Walter Mruk, Josef Bakos, and Willard Nash, and operated out of their compound of adobe homes on Camino de Monte Sol.

Cabin in the Woods, oil on canvas, 20 x 28 in.

Though the group disbanded in 1926, Ellis’s time exhibiting with them raised his profile—and confidence. His self-taught talents as a landscape artist had continuously grown, and his style solidified into one both elegant and instantly recognizable. Today, Ellis’s work is still remarkable for its unique palettes and energy, capturing the essence of the setting with visionary precision.

Historic Treasures Under $10k

In many ways, these works by some of history’s most esteemed artists are priceless. But in this selection, each piece is priced under $10,000, so you can add a treasure to your collection without breaking the bank.

Glenna Goodacre (1939-2020) - Eloise, Ed. of 35, bronze, 13 ⅝ x 6 ¾ x 4 in. $4,200

Glenna Goodacre was one of the most noteworthy American sculptors of the past century. She is known not only for her major national commissions, including the Irish Memorial in Philadelphia and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C., but also for the craftsmanship and care she instilled in her myriad other works.

Nicolai Fechin (1881-1955) - Mexican Girl, lithograph, 16 x 12 in. $4,500

Born in Kazan, Russia, Nicolai Fechin first learned carving skills from his father, a gilder and woodworker, though he showed early promise in many art forms. Driven to the U.S. by the great Russian famine in 1923, Fechin and his family lived in New York until Nicolai fell ill with tuberculosis, which spurred them to settle in Taos. There, Fechin poured his soul into his art and adobe home. Today, it is the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, a museum that pays homage to his life and talent.

Paul Strisik (1918-1998) - Edge of Taxco, Mexico, watercolor/paper, 21 x 28 ½ in. $10,000

Though Paul Strisik didn’t find the courage to dedicate himself to painting until later in life, his lifelong admiration of art helped him develop his skills quickly. He eventually studied at the Art Students League in New York under Frank Vincent Dumond, whose mentorship guided him to pursue art as a career. Strisik lived in Massachusetts, but spent winters in Santa Fe after purchasing property there in the 1970s. 

Sheldon Parsons (1866-1943) - Winter Scene, oil on board, 9 x 12 in. $9,500

A legend of Southwestern art and the first director of the New Mexico Museum of Art, Sheldon Parsons's use of blue and tawny hues brings a measure of warmth to this frigid scene.

Henry C. Balink (1882-1963) - The Fire Maker, pencil on paper, 6 x 8 in. $2,800

This small gem of a pencil drawing was created by the legendary Dutch portrait artist, Henry Balink. Known for his vibrant paintings of Native Americans, this piece is a rare example of the artist’s drawing skills.

Odon Hullenkremer (1888-1978) - East Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, oil, 15 ⅝ x 11 ½ in. $4,500

How Santa Fe has changed over the years! The city’s transformation is evident in this nostalgic painting overlooking Palace Avenue by Hungarian painter, Odon Hullenkremer.

Will Shuster (1893-1969) - Madonna and Child, etching, 3 ½ x 4 ½ in. $1,200

Will Shuster was drawn to Santa Fe by the arid climate. After inhaling mustard gas in WWI, he developed a terrible case of tuberculosis, which doctors didn’t think he’d survive. Instead, he slowly recuperated and became a beloved figure in the city, going on to join the artist group, Los Cinco Pintores.

Sandor Bernath (1892-1984) - (Untitled) New Mexico Adobes, watercolor/paper, 12 ¼ x 16 ½ in. $3,500

A master watercolorist, Hungarian-born Sandor Bernath exhibited works at the New York Watercolor Club, the American Watercolor Society, and other notable institutions in the 1920s. In the 1930s, his travels brought him to New Mexico, where the light and landscape inspired new dimensions in his work.

W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton (1878-1936) - Taos Pueblo Indian Girl, Ed. of 100, lithograph, 16 x 11 in. $3,000

W. Herbert “Buck” Dunton was a lifelong lover of nature and the rugged West, professionally rendering its peoples and scenes from age 16. Dunton eventually moved to Taos at the urging of his colleagues and became a founder of the Taos Society of Artists, helping to preserve the beauty of the untouched West in his art.

Theodore Van Soelen (1890-1964) - New Slippers, Ed. of 100, lithograph/paper, 14 ½ x 18 ½ in. $3,200

Like many artists of his day, Theodore Van Soelen was living and working on the East coast when he was driven West by tuberculosis in 1916. He eventually settled in Santa Fe, learning the ways and culture of the area by spending time in the surrounding small towns and ranches, which inspired his work.

Joseph Fleck (1892-1977) - Watering Place, monotype, 14 ½ x 19 ½ in. $2,500

After launching a budding career in Europe and serving in WWI, Joseph Amadeus Fleck emigrated to the United States where he worked as chief designer of Tiffany’s stained glass operation in Kansas City. There, he saw an exhibition by the Taos Society of Artists, which inspired him to visit–and ultimately move to—New Mexico, where he continued to paint nearly the rest of his career.

Clark Hulings (1922-2011) - (Untitled) Man and Burro, pen/ink & wash, 9 ½ x 13 ½ in. $3,800

Educated as both a fine artist and a physicist, Clark Hulings brought great intensity and dedication to all his pursuits. This concentrated study and love of art is apparent in his highly realistic paintings of villages, marketplaces, and burros.

Gene Kloss (1903-1996) - Christmas Eve Processional - Taos, Ed. of 50, drypoint, 10 x 14 in. $5,500

Known for dramatic, chiaroscuro etchings, Gene Kloss’s work featured Taos landscapes, peoples, and cultural traditions usually in black and white. This illuminated processional scene is a quintessential example of her style.

Howard Cook (1901-1980) - Cottonwoods, watercolor/paper, 8 ¼ x 20 ¾ in. $6,000

Howard Cook was a multi-talented artist who spent time in Taos among many great artists of the day. There he met and married artist Barbara Latham, who joined him on travels creating murals for the New Deal. At the height of WWII, Cook was assigned to an art unit in the Pacific Theater, where he dutifully captured the drama of wartime in a series of watercolors, which were featured in a traveling exhibition: The Army at War: A Graphic Record by American Artists.

These pieces are currently available at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For pricing or other queries, please call (505) 982-4631 or email inquiry@matteucci.com.