John Larson - El Defensor Chieftain: 3 Cranes artist Leon Miler explains the unique style Jena Blomquist’s painting at 3 Cranes Art Gallery, 715 N. California.
The contention that Socorro County produces some of the best art in the state was made evident at the 23rd annual National Pastel Painting Exhibition, which took place in November at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Out of 132 juried works, four Socorro County artists were chosen to be included the Pastel Society of New Mexico’s national catalog; three from Natasha Isenhour, three from Iva Morris, three from Skeeter Leard and two from Margi Lucena.
Lucena, of Luis Lopez, also walked away with merit awards for her paintings, and Veguita artist Iva Morris also took home a merit award from the show.
The Pastel Society was formed in 1989 by a small group of artists seeking to promote the appreciation of the soft pastel medium as well as to contribute to the growing arts community in New Mexico. It’s held a national juried exhibition annually since 1991.
The four locally-based artists celebrated at the national pastel show, although not originally from Socorro County, have chosen to live here to create their art.
Award winner Margi Lucena grew up in California but has lived in several areas of the country including Hawaii, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and finally coming to rest in New Mexico.
She has called Luis Lopez home since 2002. Margi said this is the most inspiring place she has ever lived, and she was compelled to forego her banking career and do nothing but paint.
When she sees something that “begs to be painted” Margi said she sometimes takes a photo for reference, if she has a camera with her. Other times, she paints from memory.
“Driving into Socorro I always see something I want to paint. When it’s fresh in my mind I tend to paint fast,” she said.
For her, photographs are the best references for color, and help her perspective.
“How does light affect that cactus? What color is a shadow?” She said. “How many shades of white are there?”
Whether they’re landscapes, still lifes or portraits, Margi’s paintings reflect her imagination, creativity, and fascination with form and color. She will be presenting her latest paintings at a show at Shelby Fleetwood Gallery in Santa Fe in late spring or early summer, she said.
Skeeter Leard, originally from Missouri, is a near-legend in the Socorro art world. The inclusion of her paintings is the latest in a string of successes since moving to Socorro County in the early 1970s.
“I was proud and delighted to have three pieces accepted in the catalog,” Skeeter said.
The artist said she fell in love with New Mexico by way of horses.
“The reason I first came to New Mexico was through a horse delivery in 1968,” Leard said. “Some folks from Missouri moved here and bought two horses through the mail. At my first look at Socorro coming over a hill, I immediately felt like I belonged here.”
She ended up making Socorro County her home three years later.
“I think there’s a tremendous amount of talented artists in this area,” Skeeter said. “I don’t think many realize how many professional-level artists live in Socorro County.”
A serious painter since 1983, Skeeter frequently applies her talents to commercial jobs, especially when called upon by her other muse, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
She was chosen to create the National Wildlife Refuge System’s annual poster for 2005 and, to celebrate the 100th birthday of the National Wildlife Refuge system in 2003, her “Wings of Morning” was chosen to grace a limited edition collector plate.
Skeeter said she believes Bosque del Apache is the number one reason artists settle in Socorro County.
“And second would be (New Mexico) Tech,” she added. “I think people who are involved in culture tend to have a higher percentage of artists coming in to the area.”
There’s one more reason art is flourishing in Socorro “and that, of course, is the scenery. How many artists can paint out of their backyard?”
Natasha Isenhour, an accomplished musician and writer, paints a fusion of a lifetime of creativity to produce visual rhythms, poems, melodies and journals.
As a working artist in Socorro, Natasha says living here offers her an “unstoppable stream of visual inspiration.”
“There are animals galore, sunsets, storytelling adobe ruins, the changing light of the seasons and more landscape that I could ever hope to absorb in a lifetime,” she writes in her artist’s statement. “All of these elements are present for me when I step up to the easel regardless of the subject that takes its place in the composition as I begin working.”
Natasha’s collectors span the globe from all across the U.S. to Paris and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Her work has been exhibited internationally in London, the Czech Republic and Florence, Italy. Natasha is a member of Oil Painters of America and Plein Air Painters of New Mexico and is president of the Pastel Society of New Mexico.
Three landscapes of Iva Morris were chosen for the pastel catalog. She’s created art for 25 years since graduating from the University of New Mexico in 1981 and started working with pastels nine years ago.
“Art is nothing more than the people you love and the place where you live,” she states.
The work of the Veguita artist can also be found at Lewellen Contemporary in Sante Fe, Weems Galleries in Albuquerque and Indigo Gallery in Madrid.
Socorro’s galleries also represent the best of local artwork.
Originally from Maine, artist Georgette Grey opened Vertu Fine Art Gallery in 2013 as a way to promote not only her own art but the works of other Socorro County artists.
“There’s a ton of talent here and some I’m probably not even aware of,” she said. “Our part of New Mexico attracts artists for a variety of reasons.”
“The light, the vistas, the variety of the scenery,” she said. “The vegetation can be colorful and there’s all kinds of texture. You’ve got the tropical look, but you also have the desert look. We get green when we get rain. I’ve been out to the Pound Ranch when the hills looked like Ireland they were so green.”
And the mountains. “Ladrone is my favorite,” she said.
As for the art market, Georgette said the art that sells best in Socorro is the art of Socorro.
“The local stuff,” she said. “The Sandias are beautiful, but who’s going to come to Socorro who wants to buy paintings of the Sandias? People are going to come here and are going to want to remember this experience with a painting of ‘here.’”
As an example, Georgette said Tom Irion’s landscape photography often gets double takes.
“The colors and the contrast are so strong that it doesn’t look real to people from other places,” she said.
“Here at Vertu, I think we run pretty much the full gamut, as far as media goes,” Georgette said. “Skeeter and I try hard to be as impressionistic as we’re able to be.”
“Landscapes are soothing to most people because they are very horizontal. Horizontal is like lying down, soothing,” she said. “Vertical is a little bit more active. Diagonals are very dynamic. When you have all three in one painting you get sucked in, so to speak.”
About 20 artists are represented at the gallery in the historic Juan Jose Baca building, most from Socorro and Socorro County, but a couple from out of state.
Also showing at Vertu are works of Don Boyd, Cat Brysch, Burt Calkins, Karyn deBont, Sharon Fullingim, Jonathan Gaetke, Linda Giesen, Michael Goettee, Scott Goewey, Tom Irion, Jim Kolbenschlag, Skeeter Leard, Robin McMath, Phil Norton, Vanessa Quiñones, Linda Ravert, Chrysan Spreng and Virginia Unseld.
Another artist who decided to relocate in Socorro is Leon Miler, owner of 3 Cranes Art at the corner of California and Wal streets.
“Art made in Socorro will be just as valid if it is presented in Tokyo, New Zealand, Paris or Window Rock, even though it may bear a unique Socorro imprint,” Leon said in an interview. “Art is meant for people and should reach feelings, emotions, or sensibilities common to all people.”
As far as a philosophy in his art goes, he believes in keeping the humor dry.
“Don’t look for hidden meanings that aren’t there,” he said. “The hidden meanings are there for another matter. I believe Socorro is a unique place. It is not Santa Fe, or even Santa Fe-’lite.’ I chose to live in Socorro. I would not choose to live in Santa Fe, it would only annoy me. I am beginning to look at ways I can mirror those unique Socorro things and express them in some of the things I do.”
Also showing their artwork at 3 Cranes is photographer Colleen Gino of Lemitar, Socorro painter Jenny Blomquist and potter Emma Lujan, who has taught pottery at New Mexico Tech.
The work of more than a dozen Socorro County-based artists and artisans can be seen at Alamo Gallery, 1008 N. California, next to Socorro Springs.
After an agreement five years ago between the building’s owner, Alamo Navajo School, Inc. and the City of Socorro, the Socorro County Arts Group took over the operation.
Bobbie Stendel of Bobbi’s Bobbin – one of the exhibitors – said all of the artists are from the Socorro and Magdalena areas, and that Alamo artists are showcased.
Along with Bobbi, exhibitors include Olaf Heintz, Dona Nowicki, Georgia Raymond, Willie Bond, Deborah Dean, Nicole Beaudoin, Paula Riley, Bevery Hansen (Pink Pig Gallery), Shawn LaBrier, Patti McLain, Lauren Finley and five from Alamo Navajo reservation.