Southwest Landscape Enchantment
I remember vividly the first time I came to visit friends in the high desert of New Mexico. I thought it was the most desolate, brownest, most stark and barren land I had ever seen. I wondered how or why anyone would want to live here. Yet, I continued to come back to this barren land, again and again. On a cool September evening while walking up Canyon Road in Santa Fe, the light was pouring down on a sweet flowering trumpet vine that was cascading over and along an old adobe wall. In that moment, I heard a voice that told me one day this would be my home. It wasn't long after that I began my passion for painting southwest landscapes while living back in Virginia. But it would be another ten years before that prophetic voice came to pass.
They call New Mexico the Land of Enchantment. I never understood why until after I had moved here, and began my explorations across and around this mysterious state. The incredible diversity of the landscape is a most striking characteristic. No matter which direction you go, from any place here, within fifty miles the landscape changes drastically. From Santa Fe to the east, you will find forested wilderness and high mountain meadows; to the west, the verdant valleys along the Rio Grande river; to the south, wide open mesas stretched between mountain ranges and wildlife bosques; and to the north, the deep river canyons, wide open grasslands and big mountains. Yet, within fifty miles of each of these places, you will find even more canyons, more lush valleys, more mesas, more forests and meadows. I was starting to understand the meaning of this enchantment.
Then there is the magic of the vast open spaces and the big sky. You can truly see forever here. You can watch storms roll in a hundred miles away. There is something that happens to the way your brain functions here with all this far reaching space. Your perceptions are altered, expanded, intensified and accelerated. Your world is bigger somehow as you take everything in within that huge scope and vision of space. The wide open spaces here are so unlike the east coast where vistas are limited to the surrounding landscape. Here in the high desert, your vision is endless.
Then there is the light. It is this extra special light that draws so many artists here. It's unlike any other place I know. The infinite open spaces of both land and sky at altitude create an exceptional experience. The light is very bright, and the sun is strong up here at 7000 feet. There is that magical time of the day when that strong sun is getting lower in the sky, and starts to beam a softer radiance that casts a spell over everything. An abundance of clouds in the sky at this time almost assures an electric sunset beyond words. And the night sky? I thought I had seen stars until I came here. You don't just gaze at the stars here. You are pulled beyond them into the cosmos where there are a zillion more stars. Life up here at altitude has a crispness, a clarity and a depth that just doesn't exist at sea level. My sources for inspiration to create southwest paintings is also an endless vision.
In spite of modern conveniences, it is still really the wild west when it comes to being out in nature here. The land is rugged,raw, untamed and commands respect. You don't dare take off into the mountains or deserts here for a long trek, even in the height of summer, without serious gear. A thunderstorm can roll in unexpectedly, and drop the temperature by 15-20 degrees in a matter of minutes. Flash floods can come out of nowhere in the canyons and arroyos.
All land seems to have its people who live and work the land intimately. The high desert here is rich with the diversity of its people. I honor the Native American Indians here for respecting and maintaining for hundreds of years the sacredness of these lands with their prayers, ceremonies and dances. Their traditions are woven into these lands like a beautiful blanket. This land generates an energy that speaks of sacred reverence whose influence you cannot escape. No matter whether you are a transplanted gringo, a local Hispanic or Native American, this enchanted land will call you to an expression of southwest art in some form or another, as so many artists can confirm. Many, who were never artists, become artists here. It is an artist haven, rich with culture, expansive views, magnificent landscapes and magical light. You will find this enchanting spell hard to resist, so don't. Become enchanted with this land.