Early Santa Fe & Taos artists
Learn some of the stories and secrets behind one of Santa Fe’s most illustrious and intriguing art galleries. Meet the owners and see how they turned a gallery into a true Southwestern landmark for buying and selling fine art.
Read MoreOne thing the Gallery is known for is its vast collection of bronzes, which includes works of all sizes and styles. What these sculptures all have in common, however, is a single, frequently-asked question: “How are bronzes made?”
Read MoreThe air is getting crisp and the leaves are changing color – sure signs that autumn is on its way. Get excited with us for all things fall with these stunning pieces available at the Gallery, which truly convey the colors and coziness of the season.
Read MoreLearn more about the art of portraiture, some of the masterful artists at the Gallery, and see which piece connects with you in this week’s blog.
Read MoreThe first signs of springtime are upon us in Santa Fe after a long winter. The gallery’s sculpture garden is waking up, turning green, and boosting our spirits along with it.
As the world begins to bloom, there are many pieces in the gallery that remind us of the beauty and excitement spring inevitably brings.
Doug Hyde (b. 1946) -“Spring Arrival” #7/50, bronze, 10 ½ x 5 ½ x 7 ¾”
Known primarily for his works depicting his Native cultural traditions in stone and bronze, Doug Hyde is an artist of broad talents. This bronze rabbit is a highly unique work in the artist’s oeuvre, featuring a unique patina that gives it the appearance of polished stone.
Walt Gonske (b. 1942) -“Iris Spring”, 2004, oil, 36 x 34”
Walt Gonske’s landscapes are often found in remote locations via his mobile studio, dubbed the “paint-mobile”. However, the inspiration for this colorful piece was found in his very own garden, bursting with fresh blooms. It’s no wonder this painting commands such attention with its bold brushstrokes and colors.
JK Inson (b. 1946) - “White Pelican Day”, white marble, 8 ½ x 6 x 7”
Inson is an artist who is prolific in a variety of media from stone carving to oil painting. Carved in his home studio, this solid marble piece features a lily coming into full bloom amidst a bundle of buds. The overall effect of the white marble and the smooth transitions between its elements is purely stunning.
Martin Mooney (b. 1960) -“Daffodils”, 2015, oil/panel, 24 x 20”
Born in Belfast, Ireland, Martin Mooney is an accomplished oil painter who achieves a texture to his paintings that catches the eye immediately. His floral still lifes, often featuring inventive use of a palette knife, nearly jump off the wall with bright colors and mind-boggling smoothness that draws viewers in.
Dan Ostermilller (b. 1956) -“Study For a Friend Indeed”, 1985, #13/30, bronze, 12 x 17 x 9”
President of the National Sculpture Society since 2012 and master sculptor of animals, Dan Ostermiller is a force in the art community. While he works often in monument-size bronze, the gallery is fortunate to have many of his smaller studies, including this pair of nuzzling rabbits. This set of friends is a lovely example of Ostermiller’s work and certainly reminds us that Easter is nearly upon us.
Jill Soukup (b. 1969) - “Spring Scruff”, oil on board, 34 x 16”
Since childhood, Jill Soukup has had a passion for horses and has been drawing them about as long. This foundation in drawing them led to a lifelong pursuit of art, particularly with horses and ranch life as her subject matter. This unique piece shows us a newborn foal, still scruffy and lean, but filled with life and personality. A beautiful reminder of the many miracles this season brings.
Cynthia Inson (b. 1948) -“The Stories They Could Tell”, 2023, oil on board, 14 x 11”
Accomplished plein air and still life painter, Cynthia Inson, resides alongside her husband and fellow artist, JK Inson. This vibrant piece is an example of her enduring interest in floral subjects with strong colors and composition. The crystal goblet in particular yields fascinating reflections and light, easily drawing in the viewer.
These works and many others are currently available at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For any questions about the art, please email inquiry@matteucci.com or call us at (505) 982-4631.
The city of Santa Fe is synonymous with art and culture. In fact, it was the first city in the United States dubbed a “Creative City” by UNESCO and is the third largest art market in the country.
But this 400-year-old city wasn’t always famous for art. It’s a reputation that’s only been building for the last century. So why Santa Fe?
Gustave Baumann - “Cordova Plaza” ed. of 200, color wood block, 7 ¾ x 7 ¾”
For hundreds of years, Native artists resided in the Pueblos around Santa Fe developing their own art forms, and after the Gadsden Purchase made the Southwest a US territory, classically-trained artists frequented the region on short visits. Yet in the early 1900s, “Anglo” artists like Carlos Vierra, Warren Rollins, Gerald Cassidy, Sheldon Parsons and others began settling in Santa Fe more permanently.
The light and landscape, better cost of living, colorful and unfamiliar cultures, and dry climate that eased common illnesses were among the top draws. Coincidentally, this was occurring at the same time local Natives and townspeople realized the opportunity for tourism and promoting their own art, architecture and traditions.
Warren Rollins - “Native Portrait” (Untitled) Oil on canvas, 30 x 18”
Henry C. Balink - “Sioux Chief - 1930s Pine Ridge”, oil/linen, 30 x 25”
Much of the groundwork was laid early on by an ambitious archaeologist and member of the Santa Fe City Planning Board, Edgar Lee Hewett. Not only was he instrumental in defining and promoting the “New-Old Santa Fe Style” of architecture, he also spearheaded the founding of the New Mexico Museum of Fine Art in 1917.
Eventually a number of big names moved to Santa Fe, including Gustave Baumann, Robert Henri, John Sloan, Randall Davey, Frank Applegate, B.J.O Nordfeldt, Henry Balink, Andrew Dasburg and others.
Gustave Baumann - “Rio Pecos” #AP/100, 1920, Color wood block, 9 ½ x 11 ¼”
B.J.O. Nordfeldt - “Untitled” (Still Life), oil on canvas, 26 x 38”
By the early 1920s, dedicated social clubs and associations began to form, which led to the founding of the preeminent artist group in Santa Fe– Los Cinco Pintores. These five artists, mostly young and self-taught, sought to develop their skills and forge a reputation together.
It started with Fremont Ellis, the young optometrist and painter from El Paso, and grew to include Will Shuster, Josef Bakos, Walter Mruk and Willard Nash. They quickly found a mentor to help grow their talents: accomplished artist, Albert Herman Schmidt.
Will Shuster - “Self Portrait”, oil on board, 16 x 12”
Young artists also found assistance from the new art museum, which helped with framing, building shipping crates and photographing their works for marketing. The annual exhibitions held at the museum, juried and open to all artists, led to invaluable exposure and patronage.
Fremont Ellis - “Aspens By A Mountain Pond”, oil on canvas, 24 x 30”
Soon the art world flourished in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico. Gallerists, curators and patrons flocked to the state to fill their museums and private collections with this desirable new school of American art.
Will Shuster - “San Miguel Church”, etching, 4 x 3”
Willard Clark - “Woman With Child, House & Tree”, wood block print (first printing), 4 ⅞ x 4 ⅞”
The promotional strategy of groups like Los Cinco Pintores was a major success. Their personal reputations grew and many of them became legendary in the area, such as Will Shuster, the eccentric and beloved founder of Zozobra.
Though the group only stayed intact from 1921-1926, their impact on the city would last. They and the artists from the early Santa Fe art colony influenced generations of painters, sculptors and potters. Thus turning Santa Fe into not only a muse, but a mainstay of the global art market.
Fremont Ellis - “Forest Gulch In Spring”, oil on canvas, 25 x 30”
All works in this article are currently available at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe. For questions or inquiries, please email inquiry@matteucci.com or call us at (505) 982-4631.
Sources: https://www.canyonroadarts.com/founding-the-santa-fe-art-colony/
A journey that began with tragedy and illness became a career-changing new chapter for Sheldon Orrin Parsons (1866-1943) when he moved from New York to Santa Fe with his daughter, Sara, in 1913. Spurred by his wife’s death and his own fight with tuberculosis, Parsons headed to the Southwest in search of a healthier climate and a fresh start.
Sheldon Parsons - “Taos Road”, oil on board, 28” x 24”
Born in Rochester and educated alongside other famed artists of his day at the National Academy of Design, like Will Low, Edgar Ward and William Merritt Chase, Parsons was already a successful painter in New York. He was known for his portraits of influential people like President McKinley and Susan B. Anthony as well as pastoral landscapes of the Westchester County countryside. This pilgrimage going West was a step into the unknown, but after settling in the small town, he soon became one of Santa Fe’s earliest resident artists.
Sheldon Parsons, “Landscape In NM”, oil/board, 9” x 12”
Like it does with so many people, the land connected with Parsons emotionally and creatively. When he laid eyes on the beauty of the region, his art was forever changed. In fact, once he fell in love with the landscape of New Mexico, he never painted figures again.
Sheldon Parsons - “Chamisa Leading to House”, oil on canvas, 35” x 36”
Like many other artists of the time, he displayed his work at the Palace of the Governors and would later become the first director of the newly completed New Mexico Museum of Fine Art. His daughter, Sara, would marry artist Victor Higgins in 1919, which lasted only four years but left a lasting impression on Parsons’ own artistic style. Though he was never considered a modernist, he was drawn to more progressive painters. Parsons passed away in 1943, right around the time abstract expressionism was taking off in New York City.
Sheldon Parsons - “(Untitled) Well In Front of Adobes”, oil on board, 24” x 36”
The pieces shown here and a number of other original Sheldon Parsons paintings are available at Nedra Matteucci Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For questions about the art or the gallery, please contact inquiry@matteucci.com
Source: AskArt.com
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